Luangwa District Commissioner, Captain Stanislaus Kalunga, has expressed concern and disappointment over the failure by youths in the district to utilize equipment donated to them by government under the youth empowerment progamme funds.
Capt Kalunga said he was disappointed to find that most of the equipment donated to the youths were just kept in houses and not being utilized for the intended purpose.
He said this when he inspected progress on ten youth projects that were funded by government under empowerment programme projects in the district.
Capt Kalunga said government answered the cry of youths over non availability of youth empowerment programmes by donating tools for gardening and carpentry and tailoring equipment worth millions of Kwacha, which they have failed to utilize.
Capt Kalunga, who did not hold his disappointment, withdrew some of the tools from some clubs.
He said he would only return the equipment when the youths show commitment, failure to which he would give them to other clubs in the district that were committed and interested.
The District Commissioner further called for concerted effort from all stakeholders donating and funding projects to strongly monitor and supervise projects in order to achieve the goal towards the empowerment of youths in the district.
During the 2008/2009 calendar, government funded the youths in Luangwa district under youth empowerment programme millions of Kwacha for projects ranging from tailoring, gardening, carpentry chicken and goat rearing most of which has gone to waste.
ZANIS
Hmm. Where they trained to use such equipment? Was there any financial support to kick start these projects?
Am sure these youths submitted their project proposals for them to be empowered,what they are now supposed to do is to set the hweel in motion to execute the project.To get equipment and to just keep it at home is very sad.Well done DC,let them wake up from slumber.Mu soldier ka.
Anybody can dream about a project but the dream does not directly translate into a viable project unless proper project appraisal and design is undertaken before a managed process of project initiation and execution takes place. Delivery of tools should be done only at the appropriate project phase for immediate application. My feeling is that this project was dead right from the start. There is always a right way of doing things. This is why some donors end up sending their own people to supervise projects. We’re not serious.