Government has expressed concern over the failure by young people to fully benefit from various programmes and facilities that government has made available for them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Sport, Youth and Child Development Minister, Kenneth Chipungu says it is sadden to note that despite many opportunities government has created for young people in the country, the young people seem reluctant to fully utilize them.
Mr. Chipungu said this when he paid a courtesy call on Central Province Permanent Secretary, Denny Lumbama in Kabwe today.
He said that government has constructed several Youth Skills Training and Resource Centres across the country but the facilities were under utilized by the youths who are supposed to beneficiaries.
Mr. Chipungu said government hopes that through fora such as youth indabas, young people will see the value of fully utilizing the opportunity of acquiring life skills so that they can make a meaningful contribution to national development.
And Central Province Permanent Secretary, Denny Lumbama said government is fully aware of the many challenges that the young people are facing in the country.
Mr. Lumbama said the youth indaba provides a suitable platform where both government and young people can work together in finding possible solutions to their challenges.
The 3rd National Young Indaba officially closed today at Mulungushi University in Kabwe and attracted over 250 young people drawn from all the six districts of Central Province namely, Kabwe, Kapiri -Mposhi, Mkushi,Chibombo, Mumbwa and Serenje respectively.
ZANIS
if they make use of the opportunities when will they drink tujili-jili? I cant believe how lazy young people are kunyumba.
What the you need are a better education that translates to meaningful opportunity. Whichever official was making the above remarks must not be Zambian. He is trying to sell sand to the thirsty. It is hardly enough to implement programs and call for utilization. An in tune leader needs to identify true need and prioritize allocation of resources accordingly. We are led by a bunch of disconnected folks who are inspired by wealth accumulation more than servitude!
*youth need is a better education*
I have never seen any opportunity the gvt have created for the Zambian youth. The hon. minister should have been specific and name some of the few opportunities rather than blaming the young ones. The gvt can’t even support and fund sports associations who in turn create real opportunities for the youth. Thats why utukushana have become utumaswau then utulumendo have turned to utujilijili, ukunwa chibuku ukwamba uluchelo and ukopopa utumaswau as extra activities. The youth dont even care about school anymore because they have figured out ati form five certificate yakushindilako fye and can not get one a job.
Ba LT the word should be seize (to take hold of something), not cease (to stop, finish, come to an end…). Get the services of a good editor.
I like you new site, though.
Sometimes its easy to blame the other person. Government needs to look at two things. 1. Information on such facilities is not easily available so youths have to guess where these facilities are if at all they are there. Why not advertise them somehow. Secondly, I was trying to see if as a youth I can benefit from the CEEC loans and inject capital into my already existing busniess and in the process employ more youths. What do I read the other week in the daily mail? That so far the CEEC from its inception has approved loans worth around 50-60 Million Kwacha and has only disbursed 4 Billion. Thats very discouraging. So even if I was to make it through the very difficult process of applying successfully, my application will be among the pending 50-60 billion.
the minister was day dreaming,which opportunities was he talking about.time is up for liars.
we drink a lot, smoke heavily, share skirts coz there is nothin to do? we make problems for elders to solve… so sort it out… dont just talk blah blah blah doesn’t work…
give them fish, they will come back for more, teach them how to fish they will feed themselves.. so what is the government doin bout it?
The government is providing opportunities that are not achievable and require quite a lot of bread buttering to individuals along the way. I do not have that luxury of butter hence I shall find another way of pursuing my goals.
Thank You uncle Kenneth. But I think we need a change.
Just to mention that cease should have been seize in the headline. I have noticed that there are good opportunities in areas like farming. However, most youths are looking for 8 to 17 jobs. The other thing LT and government can do is to increase the desermination of information on what youths can do or where and how they can access assistance, monetary, business planning, new business opportunities available, tax information etc. For example LT can be publishing such an arcticle once a week.
You can’t honestly give a boy a net and a banana boat at a narrow stream and expect miracles. Overhaul your archaic education system and tailor them to enterpreneurship and expect the all load og goodies from the younths.
Ecsay! you can’t sport on an empty stomach! :o
The Government must understand the Psycho-physiology of teenagers. Zambian education system starts too late. A child must start some form of education at 4 years of age and enter Primary school at 5. If they spend 12 years in formal education, they will be in senior school by the time the puberty cycle sets in and at this time Melatonin levels rise leading to late night wakefulness and day sleepiness. This is good for studying for the final exams at about 17 to 18 years of age. If you dont get this timing right, you end up with school drop outs in this age bracket who are just bored all day but in night clubs all night.