Dear Editor,
FOR the many years I have lived in the UK, I have never heard our High Commissioners host any meeting of our football stars. As you are all aware, the English Premier league has seen many African stars who are valued.
There is Patson Daka, since he came to the UK to join Leicester FC, I have never heard of any meet and greet event for us to meet him.
Patson Daka is an inspiration and if the High Commissioner to the UK would host him or any other footballer from Zambia to meet youths of Zambian families, it would really help.
Such people must be icons who mentor children born or raised in the diaspora. This young man together with Enock Mwepu (I will celebrate him separately) and others could be engaged in workshops that instill values in our Zambian children especially boys.
To the next High Commissioner to the UK, you need to work hard by engaging such people so that children in the diaspora can see the value of determination and hard work.
Many have had it easy, they don’t understand what it takes when parents hustle so hard to bring them over. I am sure our football stars would be very much interested in such meetings.
It is the duty of the High Commission to engage such high level people. Some youths in the UK need physical examples for them to be inspired and Patson Daka must be engaged and I believe he would love to.
He is Zambian, if it were some other African countries they would take advantage of such opportunities by arranging events.
I look forward to a day in London where Patson and other stars will be hosted by the Zambian mission in the UK and youths will be given the opportunity to meet them and ask questions, we have not marketed our stars enough.
We need our children to even have their signed posters, pictures taken with them and football jerseys signed too.
This will inspire many young black children to be achievers, it’s not easy for them at times. They need to see real examples and listen to stories that would inspire them!
LILLIAN MUTAMBO.
Author
