Government says there is an acute shortage of enterprenuership skills among women in Zambia and that this has adversely affected their participation in national development.
Community Development and Social Services Minister Catherine Namugala says it is for
this reason that Government is implementing programmes aimed at empowering women and other vulnerable groups through the provision of skills training in income
generating activities and entrepreneurship skills.
She said the programme is also aimed at raising awarenes on reproductive health and
HIV/AIDS.
Ms Namugala said Government attaches great importance to the empowerment of
vulnerable groups especially women and observed that women made an important
contribution to the development and welfare of society.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony for Women in Business Training (WBT) of Bwafwano Community Project in Lusaka’s Chazanga township today, Ms Namugala said women were responsible for among other duties household, family welfare and provision of farm labour.
But she bemoaned that only a few women had access to micro credit facility to
improve their participation in agriculture to enhance income levels.
The Minister expressed gratitude to Rotary Club of Kusinta and the Rotary Foundation
for the role they are playing in the community of Chazanga adding that she is
encouraged that they have chosen to work in peri-urban communities as opposed to the
urban areas.
Ms Namugala also applauded Bwafwano Community Project for the admirable work they are doing in the communities and urged Non Governmental Organisations and Service organisations to form partinerships and synergies with community based oganisations which were fully aware of the problems affecting them.
Turning to graduands, Ms Namugala urged them to ensure that they use the skills
learned effectively.
At the same event, Bwafwano Executive Director Beatrice Chola said more than 400
community volunteers had been trained in home based (HB) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) support skills in 42 communities among them Chongwe, Chibombo and Mkushi districts.
Mrs Chola said the graduands provide care and support to 1,742 people living with
HIV/AIDS and 6,053 OVCs in Chipata compound alone.
She thanked the Rotary Club of the United Kingdom through Kusinta Rotary for
supporting women with the revolving funds scheme.
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