ABANDONED OLD MAN CRIES
Written by Millennium on April 30, 2019
LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes
AN EIGHTY-SEVEN year old man spends his days and part of his nights crying for his family, especially his wife, whom he has not seen since being taken in by the Matero Aftercare, a home for the less privileged.
Ignatius Banda of Matero Aftercare, a home for the less privileged is longing to be reunited with his wife he has not seen for the past two years.
Mr Banda was taken to the centre in 2017 after he was discharged from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and there was no one to take care of him.
In an interview with the Sun, Matero Aftercare social welfare officer Bridget Munungwe said from the time Mr Banda was admitted to the centre he has been crying wanting to be reconciled with his family.
Mr Banda, kept gesturing as he painfully tried to tell his own story but could not because of speech impairment.
His story could only be told by his care givers who can understand his gestures and sounds.
Middle way through the interview, the old man sheds tears as Ms Munungwe explained that he has been longing for his family as no one visits him.
Ms Munungwe said Mr Banda had speech impairment because he suffered a stroke and was a BP patient.
“Mr Banda is looking for his relatives since the time he was discharged from UTH in 2017. Apparently he had no relatives at the time of discharge and he was brought to Matero Aftercare home.
“He suffered a stroke which led him to have speech impairment but he is ready to be joined with his family members” said Ms Munungwe.
She further said that Mr Banda cried a lot and wanted to be urgently reunited with his family members. Our efforts have always failed to trace them,” she said.
Ms Munungwe said that the only name he mentioned was his son Simon Banda who he said worked for Zamtel.
She said Mr Banda did not know where he came from because sometimes he claimed to have come from Chambeshi and later he said he was from Kitwe which made it difficult to establish where his son could be found.
“If there is anyone who has details of where the relatives of Mr Banda can be found let them come to Matero Aftercare as he is willing to intergrade with his family members,” she said.
