Friday, March 29, 2024

175 boys ditch lessons opt for work in Mumbwa

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About 175 boys dropped out of school in Mumbwa district majority of whom have opted for work in the mines in the area.

District Education Board secretary (DEBS) Mwewa Mwewa says increased mining activities have lured school going boys to drop out and start making money in 2020.

Mrs Mwenya noted that from January to December 2020 the district had a higher number of dropouts for boy as compared to girls

‘’ We had 151 girls who dropped out of school due to early marriages and unplanned pregnancies, ’’ she said.

Ms Mwenya said that the boys opted to engage in informal employment in the nearby farms and in the mine within the district.

‘’When these boys do some mining and piece works, they are given some money hence they opt to go for informal employment than being in school, ” she said.

Ms Mwenya noted that it is however gratifying that Women for Change ( WfC) in the area has been assisting pupils from vulnerable households by paying school fees and providing school materials to help learners to acquire an education.

She added that some learners do not drop out of school deliberately but due to circumstances in their homes, adding that some girls are performing well.

‘’We are hopeful that once they complete their education, the district will produce leaders in the near future’’ she said.

She observed that most of the girls who are sponsored are doing well.

‘’Government has a lot of pupils and it can’t be everywhere, nongovernmental organisations such as the Women for Change and their partners are supplementing government effort and we grateful’’ Ms. Mwenya said.

And Women for Change Executive Director, Lumba Siyanga said that most pupils who drop out of school leave mainly due to financial constraints.

Ms. Siyanga noted that without investing in girl’s education, the country will continue reproducing children out of poverty.

The WfC Executive Director said that if the country does not invest in girls’ education it will be difficult to break the poverty circle

‘’ For the nation to move forward we need girls to be educated so that we equalize the opportunities for future engagements’’ she noted.

18 COMMENTS

  1. Tis their long term loss due to poor choices/peer influences .At this rate Zambia’s Human Development Index will keep trending lower.

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  2. Whilst this gives sad reading, it is important to note that this is their choice. This can also be said to be a sign of the positive economic growth under pf which is luring thrde boys to leave school and join mining. Regardless, this is the responsibility for their parents. Government is not your mother or dad

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  3. So who is employing the under age boys to work in the mines????? where is the ministry of labour and mines safety department????/

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  4. KZ has a typical poor dad syndrome. If you don’t know what I’m taking about, read the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki. These young boys are future entrepreneurs learning a skill which no school will ever teach you. We have so many thieving politicians in Zambia because our schools taught them to get a job as the only source of income. When you trust them with state resources, you get the likes of KZ striking gold and start insulting the hands that feed them. Let the boys get what God has given to them for free. Government can force the mine owners to educate these kids with tough regulations but as usual poor dad always blames his kids.

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  5. And then you want to give PF another 5 years? Sadly the PF is happy with an illiterate population because an educated population will vote wisley.

  6. Future zed your comment doesn’t make sense. If you are happy with young kids doing such jobs let us know? Is that what you are saying? Education is a good foundation. You seem a bit too emotional.

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  7. The corrupt PF government has even made a total disaster of education, after ruining the economy, dumping the Kwacha, and stealing the coffers empty. Not paying teachers, not buying books etc. and now this? KZ you REALLY know nothing do you, apart from lying and stealing? The worst jail is still too good for you and your criminal cadres!

  8. @KZ, these kids are only following human instincts, nothing emotional here. All successful people start from somewhere. Rather than point fingers at the kids, it’s your duty as government officials to ensure that the welfare for these kids is protected. This did not happen when you and me were growing up during UNIP days so tell me, was UNIP your mother and father to give you that opportunity? KZ, I thought there was a bit of sophistication in you but obviously my comments have either confused you or touched a nerve.

  9. This is where youth apprenticeships can save such kids while guaranteeing skilled labour for the country……….

  10. This is where you.th appren.ticeships can sa.ve such ki.ds while guaran.teeing sk.illed lab.our for the country……….

  11. Future zed you are clearly not a parent. The responsibility for a child below the age of 18 lies first with their parents. Did you know that if I drove today to pick up one of those kids so that I keep them under my roof and sponsor, I would need their parents or guardiansconsent first? Clearly you have no understanding of how the law works in this country. Do you in England just get authority to do what you like with others children? Do you now see how f00lish your points are? This is the problem when you blog based on tribal and party affiliation. You lose objectivity

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  12. Should not education and health be guaranteed for every Zambian child who is vulnerable? Where are the Christian values we are all proud of?!?

  13. KZ, don’t pretend as if you know the European system because you clearly don’t. First of all, no European country would allow for kids to be exploited by so called investors. Second, the likes of you would have been serving a jail sentence. No one is asking you to drive and pickup these kids. We are saying that your government is responsible for the poverty which is driving these kids to be exploited to make ends meet. Instead of pointing fingers at the parents, it’s your job as government officials to make sure kids are not distracted from school. By the way, social services have the powers to take your children away if you can’t look after them. My tribe is Zambian and the party which tick my boxes at the moment is UNIP, Power mulilo.

  14. Future zed, your party of choice, UNIP, explains why your comments here are very unlnformed or based on your assumptlons. You clearly left Zambia when unlp were in power and have never returned here. So you have no single clue of Zambias current situation and form your opinion based on lusaka times articIes. To you every wrong in the country is due to the pf government. A man decides to rape a woman, to you it is pf that told him to do so. As I have said, I cant stand people like you who are not objective.

  15. This chi KZ thinks poverty wages and slave-like working in the mines is positive economic development.Wewe mjinga sana chi KZ no wonder Zambia is sinking fast.

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  16. Pliz do not under score the challenge education authorities are going thru in the mining areas. I happen to stay in Mumbwa’s Matala area where the boys & girls have been lured to go into this lucrative mining business which has become a fashionable culture to the local pipo. The little kids collect the quarry dust with oxcarts, cleans it in search of gold & later sell to brief case buyers at a cheaper price. They have acquired paning skills which also make them to be employed by the elderly pipo coming from the outskirts of Mumbwa. This makes them care less for education. The worst is where our little girls within the mining area have been acquired pregnancies from pipo within the camping mining areas as they exchange sex with money. Surprisingly, local headmen have also joined in the…

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