By CHIL NAMAIKO –

A NINETY-YEAR-OLD man who has more than100 grand children in Batoka Ward in Choma has appealed to Government and other well-wishers to assist him with basic needs such as shelter.
Mission Kabimba, who became blind two years ago, recently relinquished his position as headman for Kabimba Village within Batoka and his wife took over due to his poor health.
He was born in 1924 and has 12 children.
In an interview on Tuesday shortly after casting his vote at Batoka Basic School during the local government by-election for Batoka Ward, Mr Kabimba said his health had been deteriorating.
He said he faced a lot of challenges and he urge Government and other well-wishers to come to his aid by assisting him with any form of empowerment to live a decent life.
“I am happy I am 90-years-old now because I am taking care of myself, but my main challenge is that I am blind, I can’t see, I have to be assisted by somebody and I am lacking basic needs,” he said.
Mr Kabimba said he would be happy if the Government and other stakeholders could come to his aid by providing him with relief food and better shelter.
He said he was a hard working farmer who needed to benefit from farming inputs such as fertiliser and seeds under Farmer Input Support Programme from Government’s empowerment scheme.
Mr Kabimba said Government should consider putting him under the social protection scheme to be getting little monthly allowances like other aged persons to enable him buy some groceries.
He  urged youths to desist from engaging themselves in illicit activities and focus on venturing into productive vices to become responsible citizens and contribute to national development.
He was saddened to see many young people involving themselves in activities that put them at risk, adding that reaching 90 years was as a result of taking care of himself.