Government has said that it will come up with a policy that will enable volunteers in Zambia do their work freely.
Minister of Community Development Emerine Kabanshi said Government was aware about the huge contribution and effort volunteers were giving towards national development.
“As Government, we are committed to ensuring that volunteers in Zambia are protected. We are working towards a policy that will enable volunteers do their work freely and contribute to national development,” Ms Kabanshi said.
She was speaking in Lusaka when she officiated at the International Volunteers Day with the theme ‘Global applause-give volunteers a hand’.
Ms Kabanshi said volunteers needed to be given attention, respect and resources because they dedicated their time and energy to better the lives of the less privileged in the community.
She said Zambia was a better place to live in because of volunteers that took out their time to contribute to national development.
Ms Kabanshi urged stakeholders in the country to support volunteers in order to encourage them to do more in the community.
Zambia Volunteers Coordinating Committee chairperson Steven Phiri said volunteers in Zambia were committed to making a difference in communities.
He said they provided their time and resources to ensure that the lives of the less privileged and the disabled in communities better.
“As we celebrate this day, we urge Government and stakeholders to come on board and help us change the lives of people in communities. Our dream is to make the world a better place,” he said.
UNHCR country representatives Laura Lo’castro said the United Nations was working with volunteers in the country to contribute to national development.
Ms Lo’castro said there was a lot of work needed to be done in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“A lot of young people in Zambia are making a lot of sacrifices to strengthen volunteerism in Zambia. We urge Government and the private sector to give attention to volunteers in order to achieve the SDGs,we can’t do it without volunteers,” she said.
This article is hollow.There was nothing to show.
PF government now asking people to be working for nothing? I thought citizens are already earning near to nothing … isn’t that working for mahara already? Ifintu ni Lungu zoona!
Ba Mary go round, they are talking about those who come work related education tours mainly from Europe and America. They come as volunteers to help Africa. There up keep is paid by these same NGOs like UNHCR. Though they are normally infiltrated by spies that’s why our minister ought to be careful with whatever policy she wants to come up with because you may end up compromise national security in the name of being seen to be accommodating and cilvilised.
@Dominion firstly its merry go round! Secondly they don’t have to go far to spy on you! They will follow you to facebook and because you have to register your IP address, they (your so called volunteers) already know where you are!