Government has challenged orphans and the vulnerable people in society not to surrender to their plight but to rise challenge of wealth creation by venturing into productive activities.
Community Development and Social Services Minister Michael Kaingu says engaging in productive activities would better their welfare and help the country attain the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on Poverty reduction.
Mr. Kaingu was speaking during his familiarization tours of orphans and community centres in Lusaka today.
He said as a country recovers from its economic doldrums, there was an urgent need for the less privileged people to play an important role of participating in economic activities in order to help the country address the various challenges associated with poverty and hunger in the country.
Mr. Kaingu, who reiterated his government’s commitment to fighting poverty among the poverty stricken homes, appealed to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to increasing funding to his ministry with a view to addressing the challenges associated with the global economic credit crunch.
He observed that if financial funding was increased to his ministry which he said was directly involved in issues pertaining to poverty reduction, the UN Millennium Development Goals on fighting extreme poverty could be attained by 2015.
Mr. Kaingu further appealed to community centres and orphanages looking after the vulnerable people in societies to maintain high standards in order to avoid being closed down by the relevant authorities.
He said that people manning community centres and orphanages must commit themselves to ensuring that there was sanity in places where orphanages and the vulnerable people are kept.
And Mr. Kaingu has called on the Zambian citizenry not to shun away from extended families with a view to addressing street vending in the country.
Mr. Kaingu, who further expressed concern at the high levels of street kids on the Zambian roads, said that there is need to consider the extended family programme as an important factor in the family maintenance.
He expressed disappointment at the manner in which some people were fond of chasing away their relatives a move he described as contributing to street vending and vulnerability in the country.
Among the places that Mr. Kaingu visited were Matero After Care Centre, Cheshire Divine Provident Home, Lazarous Christian Community School and City of Hope.
ZANIS/TK/AM/ENDS
That is true
Akabwali is the Key for Zed. Cheers Cutey
Yes we can!!
Jam.. Ibange lyachilamo
People just need to put their heads/minds together to conquer this ‘poverty’ disease which has been with Zedians time memorial and seems to have come to stay.
It is not only the orphans who are affected by this plague called poverty. 3/4of rural Zambians still walk without shoes let alone sleep on a bed.They eat ONE meal per day and that is just to fill their stomach, no nutritional value at all.
The solution is to create more jobs and let these people be self reliant. Commercial agriculture is another venue. Govt should give loans to these poor people. Also govt look after these jobless people like developing countries do by paying them a minimal unemployment allowance.. not buying 4×4 for chiefs.
Am see
Sometimes your commentsand postings need much to be desired.They are really bad, dull and sleepy.
Govt should provide a business friendly environment and employment oppotunities for locals. how does someone considers extended family when he is failing to feed,cloth etc himself?
How exactly does the overfed minister expect the orphans and poor to overcome poverty? It is not by listening to clueless twits with no concrete plans or solutions to offer. The onus is on the government to provide facilities for youth to train for the future. It is a shame that so many decades after independence there is no youth-oriented infrastructure to speak of. Zambia runs the risk of perpetuating the gross inequalities in wealth and opportunities that currently exist. The credit crunch should not be used as an excuse for doing nothing.
Ba Kaingu if you went round the world you will find that no one wants to be poor.
Stop rubbing it in.
Yes Poverty can be overcome in Zambia Honourable Minister if your government makes right priorities in the way that spends tax payers’ money. It doesn’t make sense that goverment spends more on useless thingz than social protection which is meant to help the poor come out of poverty. Increase your social protection spending, then we will know you mean business.
Poverty can not be overcome with selfish leaders like those in MMD as for street kids we needed VILLAGE CONCERPT to help us in the village a young brother to yo father is also yo father but mwe basungu at uncle making a relationship to look like its a distant one so even the so called streed kids they hv uncles who are well to do but just because they consider them to be distant they cant look after them its each one with his biological children only…. Miyanda come and help us
Polygomous Kaingu,
How can you be telling Orghams and streets kids like that? This country is busy shedding off labour, so where do u expect them to get the necessary capital reguired when their guardians are being thrown into the streets? maybe all the orphans ans street kids should go and camp at his house until he shows them how to make ends meet or how to make money. The job losess in the country will result in more orphans and street kids.
On ‘Government has challenged orphans and the vulnerable people in society not to surrender to their plight but to rise challenge of wealth creation by venturing into productive activities.
Community Development and Social Services Minister Michael Kaingu says engaging in productive activities would better their welfare and help the country attain the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on Poverty reduction.’ what has the 17 year old MMD GRZ put in place to ensure that there vulnerable can do some business venture activities to sustain their life and ultimately contribute to national economic development? Where do the ophans start from without Capital?
On ‘He expressed disappointment at the manner in which some people were fond of chasing away their relatives a move he described as contributing to street vending and vulnerability in the country.’ how many relatives has the Minister kaingu kept at his home or not chased from his house?Mr Minister Kaingu, you need to lead by example instead of just talking anyhow. I hope you have examples from your own life experience to show us that you are serious about what you proposed.
SORRY MY FELLOW BLOGGERS LT IS NO LONGER MAKING SENSE TO ME,UPGRADE FIMOFIMO YABIPISHA.TO THOZE THAT HAVE MY EMAIL ADDRESS KEEP IN TOUCH AS I WILL EQUALLY DO THE SAME,EVEN THOSE WE CHAT WITH ON YAHOO MESSENGER AND GMAIL AM OUT,PEACE AND GOD BLESS