. Kambwili

By MILDRED KATONGO –
GOVERNMENT has distributed four Higer buses to youths on the Copperbelt as part of the youth empowerment loan scheme.
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Chishimba Kambwili said four districts namely, Ndola, Kitwe, Luanshya and Mufulira, would benefit from the first consignment of the Higer buses on the Copperbelt.
Government under the Ministry of Youth and Sports and in partnership with Higer buses procured 100 buses for the youths countrywide.
Dr Kambwili said during the launch in Ndola yesterday that Government attached great importance to the welfare of youths and that it had gone further to empower them with buses.
He said developed countries did not depend on white collar jobs, but on young people’s contribution through entrepreneurship.
Dr Kambwili said each province would get 10 buses from the 100 that had been procured.
“Today we are distributing four buses to our youths in four districts. This is the first consignment and each province is to have 10 buses. These buses are part of the loan scheme to empower our young people,” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries to be paying back the loan in order to help others benefit also.
Dr Kambwili also urged the beneficiaries to be responsible, maintain and safeguard the buses that had been given to them.
He commended President Edgar Lungu for the initiative to empower the Zambian youths.
Public and Private Driver’s Association of Zambia (PPDAZ) president Josiah Majuru said the move to empower the young people would help them not to engage in illicit activities like alcohol abuse and political violence.
Mr Majuru said the Association had gone further to train about 15 young people to be mechanics who would be maintaining the buses at the garages.
He said three garages had been identified where the young people would be working from and maintain the buses.
“We have gone further to train 15 young people here as mechanics and they will be servicing the buses.
We have already identified three garages and we are just waiting for the final response,” he said.
And one of the beneficiaries Agather Luba said the empowerment would go a long way in helping the young people earn a living and support their households.
Ms Luba said this would also reduce the number of youths on the streets engaging in alcohol abuse and other illicit activities.