ZOA joins the rest of Zambia in mourning Dr Kenneth Kaunda who has died at the age of 97. After Kaunda left Zambia’s presidential office in 1991, having been the first Zambian President of the Republic of Zambia, he became deeply involved in the fight against HIV in Zambia and across Africa, the disease that claimed one of his sons.
Two years after ZOA launched Kaunda accepted our invitation to be the keynote speaker at a ZOA fundraising dinner. He also agreed to be patron of ZOA. He commented in 2009 that “ZOA is reaching people in need where some long established organisations do not go. ZOA has been helping children towards completing school. ZOA has supported school leavers in acquiring skills that will enable these young persons have vocations and meet various basic needs. Supporting the young ones with education and skills helps build the capacity of families to meet basic needs and live life in a manageable manner. I also note ZOA’s efforts in psycho-social counselling for orphaned and bereaved family members. In addition, ZOA is greatly involved in protecting the girl child from abuse and sexual exploitation. All such support is an important component that all of us dealing with HIV and AIDS should learn from.”
His words then still reflect our mission today. We feel privileged that he was a part of the ZOA family.
All those who work for ZOA send their condolences to his family at this time of mourning.