President HH Attends Adopted Son’s Graduation

Fellow citizens,

We were delighted and honoured today to have been among hundreds of parents and guardians who witnessed the graduation ceremony of students at Chipata College of Education.

Particularly gratifying was that Shadreck Zulu, whom the First Lady and I have sponsored since his childhood years, graduated with a primary school Teaching Diploma. We as his guardians are so proud of him and hundreds of his colleagues who graduated today.

Shadreck's story is an endearing one. We learnt of his challenge with school fees, from his mother during one of our political meetings in Mfuwe about 10 years ago. We immediately undertook to pay his school fees, from our own resources as a family, until he graduated from college or University.

Shadreck is visually impaired but this did not stop him from pursuing his dreams. His resilience and determination inspires us all. He is a symbol of our Zambian youth's tenacity and resolve. We as a country have to tap into this amazing potential of our youths.

Shadreck's story is one of the many reasons that galvanised our resolve to promise free education for Zambian children from primary to secondary school. Shadreck and his fellow graduants today join 30,000 other teachers that were recently employed to beef up our education system.

We wish to thank the Chipata College of Education for their support to hundreds of youths that are pursuing their careers.

Hakainde Hichilema,

President of the Republic of Zambia