Govt empowers vulnerable rural women

Govt empowers vulnerable rural women
Kawambwa, March 5,2015, ZANIS–Government through the Ministry of
Community Development Mother and
Child Health has disbursed K75, 000 to 155 women of Kawambwa district
in Luapula Province under the village bank loan programme.
District Administrative Officer Mwita Kasengele disbursed the funds on
behalf of District Commissioner Ivo Mpasa yesterday.

Mr Mpasa disclosed that the village bank programme is fully funded by
the government and the overall objective is to empower women in order
to help them improve their livelihood.

Mr Mpasa says the specific objectives are to empower women
economically by providing them with soft loans, promote women
entrepreneurship skills and enhance wealth creation for them.

The DC added that the programme also targets vulnerable women
engaged in entrepreneurship activities in the district.

But Mr Mpasa says due to inadequate of funds to cater for every
woman, the department of community has started with Munkanta and Tea
Estate sub centres where a total number of 155 women have been
identified to benefit from the programme.

He added that out of the 155 women, 45 are from Tea Estate sub centre while
110 are from Munkanta.

Mr Mpasa has said the programme could not have come at a better time
than now when the government had embarked on empowering women in small
and medium entrepreneurship skills (SMES).

He further said that the money given to the women was clear testimony of
the government’s commitment to fulfill its mandate of helping the
vulnerable but viable women of Zambia in general and Kawambwa district in
particular.

Mr Mpasa also said that the women that have received the money have been
identified in different categories such as poor, vulnerable but viable,
permanent inhabitants of an area and have similar economic conditions
or backgrounds.

He noted that women developmental efforts have been ignored for
some time now hence government’s efforts through the department of
Community development to introduce a scheme of giving small loans
ranging from K200.00 to K1, 000.000.00 per woman who are in groups of
fives.

Meanwhile, Mr Mpasa says the loans will be paid back in 25 weeks, on a
weekly basis  at an interest rate of 20 percent.

Mr Mpasa has since urged the women to use the money properly and grow
their businesses adding that it was a well-known fact that women provide
approximately 80 percent of human labour in agriculture production.

Speaking at the same occasion, District Community Development Officer
(DCDO), Dominique Mweemba noted that as a loan repayment procedure the
groups shall take responsibility for any member who fails to pay back
the loan in installment.

Mr Mweemba also stated that members will be encouraged to save part of
their savings at an appropriate agreed rate while 5 percent will be
deducted at a time of disbursement to be deposited towards savings.