Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Laiven Apuleni has appealed to financial institutions to come up with youth friendly policies that can attract them to borrow money and venture into business.
Speaking at the youth day celebration in Maamba Mr. Apuleni pointed out that there were a number of youths who have attained reasonable education but they fail to find employment.
He said government has showed a clear intention to partner with the youths in their quest to develop the country through the allocation of the Youth Constituency Funds (YCF) which was accessed by youths in informal sector.
The DC disclosed that 11 clubs benefited from YCF in Sinazongwe district in which 40 million was given out.
Mr. Apuleni said there was poor response from the youths in applying for the youths funds in Sinazongwe district.
“This is now a challenge to you youths to show committeemen to this initiative to achieve meaningful development,” the DC said.
A youth representative Elijah Kwandu told the gathering that Sinazongwe youths feel neglected in education, in employment, and in attaining leadership.
Mr. Kwandu said it was disappointing that the entire district which has 42 basic Schools have only one high School.
He said the situation has increased the number of School dropouts, which has led to vices such as prostitution, early marriages, HIV/AIDS, beer drinking, and drug abuse.
Mr. Kwandu said the district require a College and a university for meaningful development to take place in the country.
He pointed out that all the recreation facilities in Maamba Towship have been run down and it should be revived to ensure that youths were active.
Sinazongwe Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Constituency Chairperson Simon Chali said there was need for civic leaders to involve all the youths in the celebration than a situation were only School pupils were participating.
Sinazongwe youths celebrations were only attended by pupils, teachers and a few youths from the community.
Mr. Chali said the situation should be allowed to continue as most of the pupils that have completed School fail to realise that they were part of the event.
[ZANIS]
bwana DC……you honestly expect ZANACO/Barclays/Indo Bank to bother with youths who have no collateral???its obvious this DC has no clue how the “financial institutions” he was carelessly referring to operate…they are not charities bwana DC !!! No wonder the youth celebrations were porrly attended…nobody wants to hear poorly concieved speeches !!
He was probably referring to micro finance institutions. Commercial banks in Zed don’t do start-up finance or venture capital, hence the best help these kids can get is 4rm NGO’s & micro lenders who will dish out small amounts unsecured. B4 we give these youth any meaningful tong, there’s need for basic entrepreneurial skills training, otherwise even the little we give will end up spent on shakers!
Microfinance would probably work, not commercial banks. We need to sort out the basics first; if I have no food, no clothes and no hope, and I get a loan. Will I invest the money or will I sort out my basic consumption needs first? You can not innovate in poverty, sickness and hunger. If you check on the outcomes of the youth fund right now, you will find that most beneficiaries are already broke. Credit schemes without supporting ventures in health, education, water & sanitation, housing and food security are doomed to fail, that is a fact. We need to properly think through our development agendas, politicking and political expediency is our greatest enemy!
lending either at a micro or macro level considers the ability to pay back as a decision criteria.in the case of youths who are unemployed the district youth dev. funds could act as guarantors for any monies lent.the 40 million(or whatever) will be collateral that the financier can fall back on in the event of default.an insurance instrument could also be used but i doubt zambian insurers have this product available!the DC should call upon the expertise at MOF instead of cheap and shallow politicking!!
Words are spoken ironically or politically.No specific institutions have been mentioned,banks are stiff and the like.How can a poor youth like me contribute to the growth of the country’s economy?
So Youth day is gone and all has been burried.