WOMEN in Kawambwa District of Luapula Province have paid glowing tribute to First Lady, Thandiwe Banda, for her commitment to promoting food security in the country.

The women, who turned up in their hundreds at St Mary's High School where Mrs Banda was donating an assortment of goods to various women support groups, said more women had joined farming as a result of the first lady's encouragement.

"We are very grateful for your encouragement; we now have about 57 women groups in the district, which is unprecedented. Many more women are now joining the groups and we have realised that in farming it is easier to survive," said Rosemary Kabungo, a spokesperson of the women groups in the district.

"We have so many orphans here and widows, but because of farming we are now able to support them. We are also asking for more support on farming inputs such as seeds and fertiliser to expand our production."

The first lady is in Luapula Province to inspect women's ongoing developmental projects, and make donations to the existing support groups. In Kawambwa, she donated sewing machines, bags of fertiliser as well as of maize seed.

"Some women have been trained by FAO (the Food and Agricultural Organisation); I am happy and humbled to have facilitated and I promise to continue working with you women," Ms Banda said.

The first lady said women were the most affected by hunger and there was need for them to get fully involved in farming.

"Hunger is best judged and seen in the eyes of women. This is why we should all get into farming and improve household food security.

"Let's work hard as women so that Zambia will not be hungry. Hunger must be flushed out of our houses," she added.

Ms Banda has so far donated to women support groups in Chiengi and Nchelenge.

She was later yesterday scheduled to meet women support groups in Mwense District before proceeding to Mibenge and Mansa for similar programmes.

Meanwhile, Global Commodity Market Institute has said the first lady's tour of Northern Province and helping the women should not be politicised because she has been working with women groups for some time.

Institute country director, Mwango Chisha said Ms Banda's tour of the province was not a campaign gimmick because the first lady had been to other areas helping the women.

Mr Chisha was reacting to Anti-Voter Apathy executive director Bonny Tembo's assertion that Ms Banda was on a campaign trail in the province.