== Choma residents urged to support their Museum

Choma residents urged to support their Museum

Choma, July 30, 2014, ZANIS —  Government has urged residents in Choma District  to fully support the Choma Museum in its quest to preserve the rich cultural heritage in the
province.

Choma District Commissioner Bernadette Hamweemba says the Museum being a community one it was only appropriate that the community should render support to the institute in order to carry out its mandate of conserving the rich cultural heritage in the District and the entire province.

 

Ms Hamweemba said government places great importance for the promotion and preservation of cultural heritage in the country.

 

 

ZANIS reports that the District Commissioner said this during a Choma Museum and crafts Centre and adoption workshop in the district, today.

 

She noted that the Government policy and financial support to Museums in the country was testimony of its commitment to ensure that the knowledge in art, crafts, music, traditional food, ceremonies were all promoted and preserved for not only future generations but also for employment.

 

“We have to realize that custodians of our heritage are ourselves and no one else and so I want to implore people of southern Province to support all efforts by the Choma Community Museums to promote and preserve our cultural heritage without which our identity can go into oblivion,” said Ms Hamweemba.

 

 

“In this globalised world, the need to preserve our national identity through cultural heritage has become inevitable and every citizen should be involved in this noble cause,” she added.

 

Choma Community Museum and craft Centre is a Non-Governmental Organisation established between 1977 and 1987 and has three structures including the Choma Museum, Crafts Centre and crafts development.

 

And in its efforts to celebrate 50 years of Zambia’s independence, Unity and Peace through the Choma Declaration and Cultural symbols of peace and Unity of Peoples of Southern Province, the Museum has devised seven programmes with different activities during 2014 to 2016.

 

Among the programmes include Ba Siabusongo; our elders as reservoirs of wisdom photographic temporal exhibition involving a budget of K78,000, The Choma Declaration and Cultural Symbols of Peace and Unity in Southern Province; a cyclic Permanent exhibition at a budget of K30,000 all to be sponsored by government and corporate entities.

 

The other five programmes which includes Milumbe: A travelling Schools annual art competition at a budget of K10,000, Malala: Crafting indigenous baskets at a budget of K6,950, Balengi: Art and crafts exhibitions at a budget of K6,950, Lweendo: Tourist Bus at a budget K9,000 and Musemu wabula: The traditional foods of Southern
Province at a budget of K30,000 are all expected to be sponsored by
corporate world.