Katuba Member of Parliament, Mwabashike Nkulukusa, has expressed concern over the low levels of enthusiasm among the youths in the area to form cooperatives and apply for government empowerment funds.
Mr. Nkulukusa has noticed that only a few youths in his constituency formed cooperatives and applied for grants under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), a situation he described as unfortunate.
He said he is however impressed that the majority of the cooperatives and clubs that have successfully applied and given grants under CDF comprise women.
Mr. Nkulukusa stated that government finds it rewarding to empower women in society because of the critical role they play in alleviating poverty at both household and national levels.
“We know that when you empower a woman, you empower a home, and you empower the whole nation,” he noted.
Mr. Nkulukusa made these remarks when he handed over grants under the CDF, totaling to over K1, 900,000 to 154 multipurpose cooperatives and clubs in Katuba Constituency in Chibombo District.
And Mr. Nkulukusa urged the benefitting cooperatives and clubs to prudently utilise the grants to better their livelihoods adding that doing so will inspire government to do much more for them in future.
He stated that empowering of cooperatives demonstrates government’s determination to create wealth and employment in the communities.
“Government will therefore continue to empower women and the youths in the country as one way of addressing unemployment challenges and reducing poverty levels,” he said.
And speaking earlier, Chibombo District Commissioner(DC) Lloyd Kayeka said many more people are yet to be empowered under the new administration.
Mr. Kayeka said this is because it is the government’s desire to see that every citizen is empowered in order for them to participate in various economic activities in the country.
He added that the disbursement of grants under the CDF to cooperatives and clubs is a fulfillment of the promises that President Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development(UPND) made during the campaign period.
And in an interview with ZANIS, Beatrice Sibelwa of Njema Women’s cooperative thanked the government for empowering her organisation with funds.
Ms. Sibelwa said it is the first time that the constituency is witnessing empowerment of many cooperatives and clubs with grants at once.
Mary Sinyolwa from Kachenje Women Club said her group intends to invest the grant received into poultry projects in order to generate more income.