Keeping Girls in School says it is concerned with the increased number of girls who have dropped out of school in Itezhi-tezhi district under its sponsorship.

Itezhi-Tezhi District Education Board Secretary Victor Longwani indicated that the project had improved the performance of girls that have been re-admitted into school.

KGS National Coordinator Willy Kaputa discloses that from its inception in 2017 only 498 girls out of 721 enrolled , have remained under KGS sponsorship in the district.

Speaking when he inspected the programme in Itezhi-Tezhi , Mr. Kaputa states that government is committed to transform the livelihood of women especially in rural areas with productivity grands and secondary school bursaries.

The KGS initiative is aimed at improving literacy levels across the country.

“The government through the ministry of General Education desires that we have women who are educated and if we kept our girls longer in school then we are helping them to escape the trap of many vices such as child marriages, leading to a healthy society with informed women,” Mr. Laputa explained.

Mr. Kaputa stressed the need to device measures that will improve the effectiveness of the project by meeting the needs of the beneficiaries that might be causing the increased dropouts.

The KGS team embarked on stake holder engagement with implementers which includes teachers, parents, district education offices as well the pupils in order to come up with workable solutions that will improve commitment among learners.

Meanwhile, Itezhi-Tezhi District Education Board Secretary Victor Longwani indicated that the project had improved the performance of girls that have been re-admitted into school.

Mr. Longwani revealed that about five girls who wrote their grade 12 last year had performed very well and have since been recommended for higher education.

He noted that KGS sponsorship has motivated the beneficiaries to come to school and are performing better than expected.

“The programme has directly and indirectly reinforced the implementation of re-entry policy because a number of girls who had become pregnant have been re-enrolled,” Mr. Longwani stated.

The KGS funding has further assisted schools with infrastructure development, therby creating more space for improved enrollment rates among girls in rural areas, he said.

And one of the beneficiaries, Hellen Mingochi, explained that the project has lessened the financial hardships that her family faced to pay for her tuition fees.

She noted that her dreams of becoming a lawyer will be achieved.

“Am very grateful to government for the sponsorship. My dreams of being achieving great things in life have just been realized and will come to fruition,” a jovial Mingochi noted.

Ministry of General Education (MOGE) has supported 28,799 vulnerable secondary school going girls across the country with school bursaries under the Keeping Girls in School (KGS) Project since the inception of the project in 2016.

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) in Lusaka Province has arrested five (5) people for various Drug trafficking offences contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

DEC Public Relations Officer Mathias Kamanga said Grace Chabola, a 30-year-old female Peasant Farmer of Chongwe District was arrested for trafficking 355.7 kg of loose Cannabis.

Mr Kamanga pointed out that Chabola was arrested in Manyika area of Chongwe after being found with five drums ( totaling 210 liters) and two small buckets containing loose Cannabis that were buried behind her house and covered with concrete.

In a separate incident, the Commission has arrested Lizzy Ziba a 40-year-old peasant farmer of Mukunta village in Chongwe District for trafficking 115kg of loose cannabis.

The DEC Public Relations Officer stated that Ziba was arrested after she was found with 5 sacks and half a drum of loose cannabis that was hidden in her house.

“The Commission is calling upon members of the public to report any suspicious activities especially those of drug traffickers who are in the habit of bringing large quantities of such drugs into the communities to the Commission as we would like to stop the supply of such drugs right from the source,” he said.

Meanwhile, DEC has arrested Lameck Sikazwe, a 35-year-old male and his aunt Melida Nakazwe, 73 years old both of Chilenje South for trafficking in 12kg of compressed Cannabis which was concealed in wooden handicraft boxes.

Mr Kamanga said the duo was arrested at Intercity Bus Terminal when they went to collect the compressed Cannabis parcel which was sent as a parcel to them from outside Zambia.

“The Commission would like to warn transporters to ensure they know the contents of any parcel they are transporting before they accept to carry a parcel.

“ If anything is suspicious, they should get in touch with DEC. Failure to do so may result in the seizure of their vessels for unlawful use of their motor vehicles. “ he said.

The Commission has also arrested another suspect identified as Nebby Manda, a 31-year-old Taxi Driver of Libala area in Lusaka for trafficking in Benylin with Codeine.

Mr Kamanga reveals in the same statement that Manda was found with three carton boxes filled with Benylin with Codeine which contained more than 178 bottles of the substance, 34 empty bottles and cash in the amount of K14, 900 (paper money) and K 660 (coins),” the statement read in part.

He reiterated that Benylin with Codeine is a controlled substance and should only be used by a person with a prescription from a medical practitioner.

First Lady Esther Lungu has encouraged journalists to work extra hard as it is their role to transform society.

Speaking during the ‘Stay at Home’ and ‘More than a Mother’ media award presentation ceremony at State House in Lusaka today, Mrs Lungu said she recognises the critical role the media and arts industry play to create a better society.

“We recognized the critical role the media and arts industry play to create cultural shift and raise awareness about health, cultural and sensitive issues such as infertility stigma,” she noted.

She consequently congratulated and awarded some deserving journalists under the ‘Merck Foundation’ for championing and raising awareness on sensitive social issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs Lungu said Merck Foundation conducted the ‘Stay at Home’ and ‘More than a Mother’ media recognition awards was formed to raise awareness about the important social issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and to raise awareness on how to stay safe and keep physically and mentally healthy during the pandemic lockdown.

The First Lady commended the marked contributions made by the winners in sensitizing their respective communities about infertility stigma and COVID-19.

Mrs Lungu further encouraged Merck Foundation to reward them by becoming foundation Alumni and also providing them with one year access to online educational training programe called Master Class.

“This offer aims at motivating journalists to continue writing and advocating for social, economic and health issues across their countries” she said.

Among the deserving journalists awarded included Jessie Ngoma (Times of Zambia) ,Henry Sinyangwe (Daily Mail) and Violet Mengo (Daily Mail) under the print category.

Others were ZNBC’s Effie Mphande under Multimedia category , Prudence Siabana (Radio Phoenix) and Josias Muuba from Mosi-oa-Tunya Radio under the electronic category.

The Merck Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the Merck Germany , established in 2017 envisions a world where everyone can lead a healthy and fulfilling life .

It aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science , technology women and youth empowerment and building scientific research capacity.

Government says the legal framework for the social security and protection policy has been established.

Labour and Social Security Permanent Secretary Chanda Kaziya disclosed this today in Ndola when he paid a courtesy call on his Copperbelt Province counterpart, Bright Nundwe yesterday.

Mr. Kaziya explained that he was in the province with teams from his ministry, National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA), ZICD, Workers’ Compensation Fund where the Regional Director International Labour Organisation for Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia is expected to join the team on an extended social security and protection program to the informal sector in the province.

He said his team will start with Fisenge and Kapelembe pilot projects to monitor how the implementation of the project is fairing.

“This is a national project. The pilot project in Southern Province has performed very well and the plan is to roll it out across the country,” said Mr. Kaziya.

The PS added that the extended social security program will include domestic workers, taxi and bus drivers, agricultural workers as well as covering injuries sustained on duty by those in the informal sector.

Meanwhile, NAPSA Director General Yollard Kachinda said the extended labour social security program is comprehensive saying issues of social security have been a preserve of the working class ever since.

Mr. Kachinda disclosed that the program is targeting to capture a million people countrywide once fully fledged.

And speaking later, Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe said the target population for the social security program is available in the province adding that the government in the province will embrace and support the program.

Socialist Party Candidate for Pambashe Constituency in Kawambwa District, Luapula Province has defected to the Patriotic Front ( PF) on the nomination day.

Memory Kasoma says she has decided to withdraw from the race and join the PF after seeing the works which immediate past Member of Parliament Ronald Chitotela has done in the area.

ZANIS reports that Ms Kasoma explains that it is difficult to challenge Ronald Chitotela in Pambashe Constituency due to the developmental projects he has spearheaded so far in the area.

Speaking after announcing her defection to the PF, Ms Kasoma encouraged fellow electorates to continue supporting government for continued developmental progress.

And Pambashe Constituency Returning Officer Frank Malama disclosed that three political parties have managed to file in their nominations successfully.

Mr Malama explained that the candidate for the United Party for National Development (UPND) Justine Kapema was the first to file in his nominations.

He points out that Democratic Party candidate Ezekiel Kayuma was the second to file in his nominations followed by the candidate for Patriotic Front party Ronald Chitotela.

“The nominations were very peaceful and all the candidates were able to file in their nominations successfully without any challenges,” revealed Mr Malama.

Meanwhile PF Pambashe Constituency candidate Ronald Chitotela has called for peaceful campaigns in the area.

Mr Chitotela explained that no political party should promote any form of violence in the area, during and after the campaign period.

He pointed out that whoever is carrying out campaigns in the area is expected to ensure that they maintain peace.

Three political parties are participating in the Pambashe Constituency seat and they have all filed in their nominations.

Patriotic Front (PF) running mate Nkandu Luo has described President Edgar Lungu as a trendsetter who has continued to support women.

Professor Luo said that President Lungu is a self-made man who supports women and that her role will be to support his vision.

Professor Luo said that Zambians need to give credit to the Head of State as the country never had a woman Vice President or running mate for many years prior to the appointment of the first female Vice President, adding that many other countries have started emulating Zambia by appointing women Vice Presidents.

Professor Luo has called on all women in the country to rally behind President Lungu in the forthcoming elections as there are greater opportunities that will come their way and that she intends to get into the shoes of Vice President Inonge Wina even though they are big but has expressed confidence that they will fit.

Professor Luo said this when a delegation from NGOCC called on her at her home in Lusaka where they presented a gift to her in recognition of her contribution to the women movement.

She called on NGOCC to work in collaboration with Government in achieving the common goal of having women representation in positions of influence.

And NGOCC Board Chairperson Mary Mulenga said Professor Luo’s appointment is a plus to the women movement as she has always been part of their programmes.

Mrs. Mulenga said NGOCC is confident that Professor LUO will bring out issues affecting women as she has done in the past once she assumes office.

Meanwhile, The Bible Gospel Church in Africa (BGOCA) has praised President Edgar Lungu for appointing Professor Nkandu Luo as his running mate.

BGOCA Deputy Secretary General Lazarous Shumba said the church is happy with the choice of the President.

Bishop Shumba pointed out that the women’s department of Bible Gospel Church in Africa is appreciative of the decision.

In a statement to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday, Bishop Shumba underscored that President Lungu is making women involved in the governing process.

“Pastor Hildar Ndhlovu of Bible Gospel Church in Africa Women of Destiny International, a women’s department of Bible Gospel Church in Africa would like to appreciate President Edgar Lungu for choosing Prof Luo ahead of August 12th General Elections,” the clergyman said in the statement.

He pointed out that BGOCA will support strides that are being made to empower women in society.

Recently, Inter-Africa Governance Network ( AFRINET) also commended President Edgar Lungu for his exceptional and consistent courage on the nomination of Professor Nkandu Luo as his running mate in the forthcoming election on the 12th August, 2021.

AFRINET Executive Director Maurice Malambo says the nomination comes as President Lungu’s second endorsement of female’s abilities, a mark of his confidence in relation to the Office of Vice-president, the first having been the nomination of Inonge Wina to the same office.

Yesterday May 17th, during his filling of nomination papers, President Edgar Lungu availed Nkandu Luo as his running mate ahead of August 12th General Elections.