60% of NGOs operating in Zambia are in Lusaka

Government says over 60 per cent of registered Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in the country are based in Lusaka despite the capital city being the smallest area geographically in the country.

The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) says the majority of the 2,500 registered NGOs operate in Lusaka with 80 operating in the Kabulonga area and practically targeting the same target groups.

Senior Standards Officer from the ministry’s Department of NGO Registration, Martin Kaonga, shared during a UNICEF sponsored media training in Kabwe that it is difficult to observe an exponential impact of the work of Lusaka based NGOs due to duplication of work and access to the same vulnerable target groups.

Mr Kaonga noted that rural areas have the highest number of disadvantaged and vulnerable households hence require more NGOs to reach them.

He told the journalists attending the workshop that there is more positive evidence of impact from the work of NGOs operating away from Lusaka, especially in rural areas.

“We have over 2,500 NGOs registered and operating in the country, and 60 per cent of the NGOs operate in Lusaka,” said Mr Kaonga.

He added that the government intends to roll out a Non-Governmental Organisation Registration Information Management (NGORIM) in order to mainstream registration and operation of NGOs in the country.

He said his department is mandated to register and track NGO operations and compliance with the law.

Mr Kaonga explained that the NGORIM has been developed as a centralised regulatory framework that will promote appropriate tracking of the operations of NGOs previously registered under Registrar of Societies, PACRA and other government agencies.

He acknowledged the need to direct NGOs to set up bases in areas with more disadvantaged people than Lusaka.

“We have seen a lot of development in rural areas, people being empowered by NGOS, livelihoods being improved. In Lusaka, some impact is there, but not as much as you would expect,” said Mr Kaonga

He stressed that the work of NGOs is cardinal in uplifting the lives of vulnerable groups and households in the country.

The media training was aimed at sharpening journalists’ ability and capacity to highlight social protection issues and highlight government intervention initiatives among vulnerable groups and households in the country.

The training, which attracted over 40 journalists representing about 30 media houses, was supported by UNICEF and cooperating donors among them Sweden, Ireland, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).