People in Mwakabibili Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwakaboko in Karonga District have teamed up to construct two bridges across Mkowo River to improve mobility in the area.
To achieve their goal, the community members contributed resources to buy materials while others provided labour and moral support.
Their interest and willingness to execute the projects has since attracted the attention of Karonga district commissioner Willard Mwambo who contributed K100 000 towards the cause.
in T/A Mwakaboko in Karonga. | Jordan Simeon-Phiri
Group village head Mwakabibili said households contributed one tin of rice which was sold to generate money for cement and quarry while women fetched river sand.
“We have completed the first bridge, but we are stuck with the second one because we will need steel bars and cement for reinforcement. We, therefore, appeal for support,” he said.
Karonga Songwe Constituency Kaporo Ward councillor Ishmael Pembamoto (independent) said the initiative seeks to make feeder roads passable throughout the year because learners from Mwenitete, Mayofya and Mbamba villages struggle to cross the river during the rainy season.
In an interview, Mwambo hailed the community for the initiative, saying government is overstretched with other equally important development projects.
He said: “I visited the community and joined their development activities to inspire them. I am impressed because they have not folded their arms to wait for government. They have contributed money and mobilised materials for the two bridges.
“Let others join their community with more resources for this type of work so that government’s Reformed K5 billion Constituency Development Fund should come in for bigger projects.”
Mwambo has since said that he will send the Directorate of Public Works to provide technical expertise on the bridge to come up with a durable structure.
