GENDER and Child Development Minister Professor Nkandu Luo has said Government was committed to uplifting the living standards of women through the provision of mechanised equipment in various chiefdoms in the country.
Prof Luo said when she handed over a tractor to the people of Chieftainess Mkanda’s chiefdom under Agriculture Development Value Chain Enterprise (ADVANCE) in Chipata on Wednesday that this was to ensure that Government responds to the needs of the women in various chiefdoms as part of eradicating poverty.
The minister said her ministry was implementing various programmes aimed at empowering the women folk.
She said women in chiefdoms should utilize the move which has been taken by the Government to improve their lives in conformity with resources that were available in their chiefdoms.
“In the past women used to emulate people in town to do some sewing as projects which did not attract sales, thereby making them fail,” she said.
And Chieftainess Mkanda of the Chewa people said the provision of a tractor by Government would boost the morale among women as it would reduce the burden women go through during farming process.
She commended the Government for the massive development undertaken in most parts of the country including Chipata district.
She said that the rehabilitation of roads in the district has changed the face of the town.
The traditional leader also said her chiefdom was facing serious challenges which needed the intervention of President Edgar Lungu.
“These women you see here wake up around 03:00 hours leaving their husbands to go and draw water more than one kilometre away from their homes. This is a threat to their marriages,” she said.
Chieftainess Mkanda also urged politicians to conduct clean campaigns for the forthcoming August 11th general elections.
She said there was no need to perpetrate violence, adding that electorate must remain peaceful during the campaigns.
That is good. I am an advocate for improved agriculture through technology. Had we bought used tractors from England, USA, Japan etc instead of Hearses and mobile hospitals, Zambia would be different today.
Why waiting for four years and nine months, wasting 10 billion dollars on “empowerment” of Ministers bank accounts before remembering (just before election) to “donate” crappy tractor without any support?
INSTITUTIONALIZED BRIBERY
mwayambako ….
These empty tins are at it buying votes left right and centre; do you even know what empowerment is; have trained these women how do use the tractor? Have you trained them how to manage co-ops? What do they do with the tractor in dry season? You have no sustainable programs in place simply misusing borrowed money.
This is another reason ministers should have left their ministries as a lot of funds will be misappropriated.
PF it is walk over in the coming election. Ground work ha already been done unlike the way it was in January, 2015 when Guy Scot regime nearly spilled the broth in PF
Ba Luo how can you sink so low? This is a campaign gimmick,even those villagers know. Ne nsoni iyo,maba ichisote kwati bowa.