December 12, 2021
new youth empowerment fund launched
,ZANIS— Government through the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts has luanched the youth empowerment scheme targeting 2,000 youth across the country.
Minister of youth, sport and arts Elvis Nkandu launched the empowerment scheme in Ndola at levy Mwanawasa stadium.
Nr Nkandu said 360 young vulnerable people in the Copperbelt Province will benefit from the empowerment scheme worth four hundred thousand kwacha.
ZANIS reports that Mr Nkandu said this will also provide economic empowerment to the vulnerable youths at household level.
“This National Youth Scheme program is targeting 360 youths accross the Copperbelt Province and over 2,000 youths country wide,” he said.
Mr Nkandu said youths are being given an opportunity through the scheme so that they contribute to the nation’s development.
He said the Ministry has put up strict modalities to ensure that the program is implemented effectively with no segregation and does not turn into a political program.
“This program is looking at the less privileged youths as the new dawn adminstration wants them to establish businesses to sustain themselves and their families.
And this is a grant which will be given to the youths for free and they will not pay back. In the 2022 budget we have even increased the sponsorship,” he said.
He said the program will be inclusive as it will even include ex- convicts to enable them restart their lives.
Mr Nkandu said the new dawn adminstration is aware that youths in rural areas have been neglected hence the reason the government has come up with the initiative to help such youths.
“We have also bought 50 more tanker trucks to be distributed in all the 10 provinces of our country that’s why we are urging youths to form cooperatives of about 30 per group,” he said.
He added government will continue procuring more tanker trucks so that the oil industry is dominated by the indigenous Zambians.
Copperbelt Province Minister Elisha Matambo observed that the program will help eradicate poverty among the youths.
He said the province is the first to launch the empowerment scheme and has urged youths to use it prudently.
Mr Matambo said youths should come up with innovative ideas and establish businesses which will help them earn a living.
He said the new dawn attached great importance to the welfare of the youths in the country as they contributed immensely to the UPND forming government.
Mr Matambo said the scheme will carter for all the youths across the province despite their political affiliations.
And Minister of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali said the new dawn adminstration has pledged commitment to ensure that Zambians benefit from it’s natural resources.
Mr. Tayali who is also Ndola Central Member of parliament has since urged young people to support Government programs by not mismanaging what they get from the national youth scheme.
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