Govt keen to create jobs in rural areas

YOUTH and Sport Minister, Chishimba Kambwili says Government is committed to developing various employment creation strategies for young people particularly in rural communities.

Mr Kambwili said Government’s continued promotion of initiatives on job creation for young people, is one measure of achieving food security in the country.

He said the Government recognised the importance of setting up development initiatives that could harness rural resources for the generation of employment opportunities and increased income for the country.

The minister was speaking in Lusaka on Friday in a speech read for him by chief Youth development officer, Muna Mukupa, at the inception workshop of the Rural Youth Employment Programme.

The Rural Youth Employment Programme is a United Nations (UN) joint initiative with support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Swedish Embassy.

Earlier, Swedish Embassy representative Anna Rahm disclosed that the rural youth employment programme will run for a period of four years at a cost of US$6.9 million.

Ms Rahm said the programme would compliment Government’s efforts of reducing youth unemployment, promote food and nutritional security in rural areas.

She said the programme was also aimed at facilitating sustainable livelihoods of young people in rural areas through the promotion of sustainable micro small and medium-scale enterprises.

And Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) country representative George Okech said the UN system in Zambia would continue to provide technical assistance to the country on youth unemployment and food insecurity in rural areas.

Mr Okech commended the Zambian Government for its commitment towards other UN initiatives which complemented its development efforts for the betterment of the Zambian people.