Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, says the government remains committed to the wellbeing of teachers across the country.
Mrs Nalumango adds that the government is aware that many teachers are faced with debt burden, a reality she said cannot be ignored as most of them are financially stressed.
She has further indicated that in most cases, teachers have limited access to investment opportunities, further noting that the debt burden has the potential to affect their morale and wellbeing.
“We cannot ignore the reality that many of our teachers face debt, financial stress, debt burden, and limited access to sustainable investment opportunities in some cases, and this affects morale and their wellbeing,” Mrs Nalumango states.
The Vice President notes that the government is concerned with the situation hence the reason teachers are being encouraged to be part of various entrepreneurial programmes being implemented by the government across the country so that they can equally be empowered.
Mrs Nalumango further states that the government has created an enabling environment for teachers to access resources for entrepreneurship through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) and the Constituency Development Fund.
“When those charged with the responsibility to nature the country’s future struggle to secure their own financial stability, we as a government get concerned,” she says.
The media reports that Mrs Nalumango said this in a speech read for her by Minister of Education, Douglas Syakalima, at the launch of the Teacher Business and Investment Forum in Lusaka today.
She said the launch of the forum is timely and welcome and that it provides teachers with access to affordable financing and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The Vice President stressed that entrepreneurship is not reserved for a few but that it is open to all who are willing to learn and collaborate.
Speaking earlier, Zambia Union for Teacher Empowerment (ZUTE) President, Gracious Mutale, noted that the union bemoaned that teachers lack exposure to financial investment opportunities to enable them venture in income generating activities, hence coming up with a forum that will assist them not to depend on one source of income.
Mr Mutale also pointed out that the teacher business and investment forum has been established to provide a transparent structure through which teachers can enhance their financial literacy and also participate in cooperative savings.
He further stated that the forum will act as a platform where teachers can access entrepreneurial training.
Mr Mutale observed that a financially independent teacher is more focused and productive.
Stating the problem is not solving it. So your government has observed how teachers are suffering so what have you done to stop this?
Is there any government initiative focused on teachers or exploiting their skills for post retirement enterprises?
Is she a teacher? That could help us solve our longstanding problems
Which entrepreneurship initiatives?
This advice is admission that government is not taking care of its valued employers and the people who blindly and fuuuulishly went to celebrate debt restructuring but forgot to restructure their debt and now are feeling the debt burden like monkeys trapped with stolen maize.