NUSFAZ WELCOMES CALL TO LIFT EMPLOYMENT FREEZE IN THE AGRIC SECTOR

By MacPherson Mukuka in Lusaka

The National Union of Small Scale Farmers of Zambia NUSFAZ has backed Minister of Agriculture DORA SILIYA’s call to lift the employment freeze on extension services in the Ministry.

NUSFAZ Director General FRANK KAYULA says it is true that there is a shortage of extension officers in the country.

Dr. KAYULA says the current ratio of extension officer to farmers is worrisome and needs urgent attention stating that employing more extension officers is the lasting solution.

He says it is too much for one extension officer to be offering agriculture extension services to more than one Thousand farmers.

Dr. KAYULA has noted that it is perhaps the reason the agriculture is not performing according to expectation.

He says sometimes the extension officer goes off the limit and attends to about 13 thousand small scale farmers.

And Dr. KAYULA has further called on the Ministry of agriculture to consider adopting ICT’s in the delivery of agriculture extension information and services to farmers.    

He says ICT’s have proved to be one of the effective ways of reaching out to many people in information sharing and service delivery.

He says although most small scale farmers do not have access to android powered gadgets such as smart mobile phones, it is vital that the Ministry to embark of such a venture.

He says once that is done; farmers will be encouraged and may end up buying the gadgets for their benefit. 

Last Friday, Minister of Agriculture DORA SILIYA called for the lifting of the employment freeze on extension services in her sector to bridge the gap between farmers and extension officers.

MS SILIYA said currently one extension officer provides extension services to over 1-Thousand farmers which makes it difficult for the dissemination of extension messages to farmers.

TRUMP INAUGURATION_THE LINCOLN BIBLE

MacPherson Mukuka *In Lusaka*

The Lincoln Bible is the bible owned by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln family donated the bible to the Library of Congress, which includes it in their collection.

When Donald J. Trump takes the oath of office on Friday, he will do so with his hand on two Bibles: his own, and one used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861. Only one other president has used that Bible for the oath: Mr. Trump’s predecessor.

Thomas Barrack Jr., the chairman of Mr. Trump’s inaugural committee, said in a statement earlier this week that the president-elect “is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country.”

Mr. Trump’s personal Bible was given to him by his mother in 1955, two days before his ninth birthday, according to a statement from the inaugural committee. He had just completed the Sunday Church Primary School at the First Presbyterian Church in Queens, where he grew up.
‘A Certain Kind of Electricity’

To use the Lincoln Bible, the inaugural committee has to borrow it from its permanent home at the Library of Congress.

Lincoln swore the oath on it at his first inaugural in 1861, as the United States stood on the cusp of the Civil War. It was not used again at an inauguration until the election of Barack Obama, who was sworn in on it in 2009 and again in 2013.

Conservationists at the Library of Congress said the book was ready for another big day, though they have wary eyes turned toward a weather forecast that hints at the possibility of rain.

“We always have it in the back of our mind that this might be happening,” said Elmer Eusman, who is the head of conservation. “So we’re prepared.”

“We already had made a protective box for it for Obama’s inauguration,” he said, adding that the library is creating a Mylar wraparound for the cover to protect it from rain.

Mr. Eusman said the library would also have someone on standby who will be notified immediately if the Bible has been damaged and will whisk it back to a conservation lab for immediate repair.

The steps are mostly precautionary. The Lincoln Bible is in good shape, and “it can certainly sustain this kind of activity,” said Mark Dimunation, the head of rare books and special collections.

The Bible was given to the library by Mary Lincoln, the widow of Robert Todd Lincoln, the president’s son, Mr. Dimunation said. The collection also included the contents of President Lincoln’s pocket from the night he was killed.

Source: New York Times

Emirates introduces sustainable blankets made from 100% recycled plastic bottles

By MacPherson Mukuka

Emirates has introduced new sustainable blankets made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The soft and warm blankets are made using ecoTHREAD™ patented technology and is now available in Economy Class on all long-haul Emirates flights.

Each Emirates ecoTHREAD™ blanket is made from 28 recycled plastic bottles. With the latest innovation, the bottles are recycled into plastic chips before being turned into yarn, creating a polar fleece material. The fine thread is then woven into soft blankets.

The environmentally-friendly blankets were designed in partnership with Buzz, the world’s leading inflight product specialists, and are part of Emirates’ continued commitment to product innovation and sustainability.

Emirates already runs a green programme on board recycling aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles, and clean paper products such as newspapers, magazines and cardboard cartons where possible.

By the end of 2019, Emirates ecoTHREAD™ blankets would have rescued 88 million plastic bottles from landfills– equivalent to the weight of 44 A380 aircraft. This initiative makes it the largest sustainable blanket programme on board in the airline industry. In addition, the manufacturing process of using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) reduces energy emissions by 70%.

ecoTHREAD™ is certified with the Intertek Green Leaf Mark by third party testing and certification body Intertek, independently verified to use 100% recycled materials.

The Emirates ecoTHREAD™ blanket for Economy Class completes the recent comforter overhaul across all three classes. The airline introduced a plush, faux sheep-skin blanket in First Class and soft duvets in Business Class.

In the last year, Emirates has added several new products for customers travelling in Economy including the world’s first interactive amenity kits. The amenity kits - filled with necessities such as an eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste, and socks – uses augmented reality technology to unlock entertainment on customers’ mobile devices using the Blippar app.

The content was refreshed last month to feature a new interactive game called The Emirates Destination Dash to keep customers’ busy on long-haul flights or on the ground.


Source: Langmead and Baker

Rainwater Harvesting, a technology to embrace.

 MacPherson MUKUKA in Lusaka

Water is undoubtedly the world’s most used natural resource.

The mineral remains the most critical component of human’s day to day activities.

Over Centuries, the water has played a role of the backbone of all living things, humans, animals and plants, its role cannot replaced by any other natural resource, as it is at the center of life.

However, with the passage of time, and due to some human activities, the resource is slowly been sacked into the ground. Other factors leading to the depletion of the mineral include little or no rainfall and high temperatures resulting into the drying off of major water bodies.

Zambia has not been an exception to this development.

For the last few years, most parts of the country have recorded poor rainfall, leading to shortages of the resource for use at both household and commercial levels.

For urban areas, tap water becomes scarce due to various reasons, and low water table levels, is among them.

Arguably, in the long term, the development has caused the water utility companies to fail to pump expected amount of water to supply to customers.

Lusaka water and sewerage company Public relations and Marketing Manager Topsy Sikalinda discloses that low water tables  have a negative bearing on the operations of the utility.

He says, his organisation faces a number of challenges when the water table level is low as demand cannot be met.

This is coupled with effects of Climate Change which to a larger extent, are human made. Most scholars have argued on whether the whole phenomena is a hoax or not.

But a Climate Change Participatory Adaptation Specialist CCPAS, Martin Sishekanu believes climate change is true and that its effects are felt.

He says human activities such as agriculture and timber processing at commercial level have contributed to the poor rainfall recorded in the country in the previous years.

"Humans have caused all these problems for themselves, the flora that once controlled the movement of the winds has been cut." He said.

Mr. Sishekanu further adds that deforestation alone has caused most parts of the country to stop experiencing torrential rains.

"The movement of the wind has been disturbed, this is why you find, a kilometer from where we are (Maina Soko area) it is raining, meanwhile here it is dry." said Mr. Sishekanu.

The CCPAS told me that the best way to have all the challenges of water overcome in Zambia is to utilise the little resource the country holds to the best ability.

He says Government must commit resources towards setting up rainwater harvesting facilities, and most of all to avoid deforestation.

With only about 40 percent of the entire water resource in the southern region, the need to devise strategies aimed at conserving the water is essential. I had a chance to interviewing Water Resources Management Authority WARMA Director General Dr.Paul Kapotwe who disclosed that authority has formulated guidelines in a quest to safeguard the water resource in the country.

According to Dr. Kapotwe, the guidelines will serve as a deterrent to abusers of the resource.

"The guidelines will come with penalties, and stiffer penalties as a matter of fact." He said.

Disclosed that the Authority has also been mandated to regulate and license all water drilling companies for the purpose of effective management of the water.

The other good news is that Government has in the last few years been to trying to find means of how to store rain water for future use at both household and commercial levels.

And rainwater harvesting has emerged as a solution. The practice involves direct collection of rainwater.

The rainwater collected can be stored for direct use or can be recharged into the ground.
Early in 2016, Government announced and embarked on rainwater harvesting project in selected provinces.

The project includes construction of new dams and rehabilitating existing ones. So far, over 10 news dams have been rehabilitated and 5 new ones constructed.

Government has put its foot forward to ensure all rainwater is channeled towards the right reservoirs in each catchment area.

it must be noted therein that Community based rainwater harvesting in rural areas of Zambia has become more common today than it was before.

It is, in fact, only with the common undeveloped technology that people are able to survive in water scarce areas.

Appropriate systems should ideally evolve from the experience of traditional techniques where these exist.
Above all it is necessary that the systems are appreciated by the communities where they are introduced. Without popular participation and support, projects are unlikely to succeed.

Water harvesting technology is especially relevant to the semi-dry and dry areas where the problems of environmental degradation, drought and population pressures are most evident.

It is an important component of the list of solutions for these problem zones, and there is no doubt that implementation of Water Harvesting techniques will expand in Zambia.

Emirates ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ initiative supports Liuwa Plains education project.

By MacPherson Mukuka

Emirates has selected an education programme in Western Province as one of three wildlife protection and environmental conservation projects in Africa to receive funding under its ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ initiative.

African Parks will use the funding from ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ to support educational development for community who live within Liuwa Plain National Park in Zambia. 

The Organisation will provide educational tablet computers and employ additional teaching assistants within the schools in the park. Improved access to education is expected to decrease the pressure on wildlife and natural resources of the park.  

African Parks, along with the Southern African Wildlife College Trust and Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds,were selected from a global pool of applicants working towards environmental sustainability and conservation in their respective regions. 

Launched in 2013, ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ is an outcome of Emirates' commitment to sustainability and environmental conservation globally. 

The programme provides a share of up to US$ 150,000 in funding to not-for-profit organisations across the world working innovatively to safeguard and improve their local environments.

The funds for the initiative are raised through internal recycling programmes within the Emirates Group that process materials ranging from paper from Emirates’ offices to seat components on board aircraft.

Following the overwhelming response received for the initiative in its first year, Emirates decided to continue the programme for a second time in 2016. 

Applications for funding under ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ were initially assessed by a committee comprised of senior executives from the Emirates Group and members of the Environment team. 

Shortlisted applicants were then invited to present their project proposal in detail to the committee for further evaluation in order to select the winners. 

Emirates Vice President of International, Government and Environment Affairs WILL LӦFBERG said sustainability and concern for the environment are part of Emirates’ core values  and that the organisation will constantly strive towards reducing the impact of it operations on the natural environment.

He added that Emirates through ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ is able to support organisations that work at the grassroots level in engaging with communities to conserve the environment.

He has expressed delight at the positive impact that the winners of the first ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ initiative had on their communities and adding that his organisation looks forward to supporting this year’s winners.”

The three organisations that have been selected for funding under ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ are:

African Parks
African Parks is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2000 that takes on the direct, long-term management of national parks and protected areas in partnership with governments in order to save wildlife restore landscapes and ensure sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

African Parks will use the funding from ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ to support educational development within the Barotse community who live within Liuwa Plain National Park in Zambia.

African Parks will provide educational tablet computers and employ additional teaching assistants within the schools in the park. Improved access to education is expected to decrease the pressure on wildlife and natural resources of the park.

Southern African Wildlife College Trust - SAWCT
SAWCT was established in 1996 by the World Wide Fund for Nature, South Africa (WWF South Africa) in close cooperation with national and provincial government departments, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Since its start in 1996 the College has trained close to 15,000 students from 46 countries in natural resource management and conservation practices. Through funding from Emirates’ ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ initiative SAWCT - a Trust set up by WWF SA in support of the College -  will provide three scholarships and two bursaries for their certificate programmes in nature conservation to students who already work in the conservation area but who do not have formal educational to advance their careers. These qualifications will help students move into roles such as wildlife area managers, park rangers and senior field rangers, working to protect wildlife parks within southern Africa.

Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds - SANCCOB
SANCCOB is a marine non-profit organisation in South Africa which protects, treats and conserves seabirds and endangered species such as the African penguin.

It is recognised internationally as a leader in the field of seabird rehabilitation with veterinary staff working work around the clock, 365 days a year, to provide the best care to the ill, injured, abandoned and oiled African penguins and other seabirds that are admitted to its two centres annually. Funding from ‘A Greener Tomorrow’ will go towards helping support SANCCOB’s rehabilitation, protection, research and chick-rearing programmes. 

MUSIKA HELPS ZAMBEEF TO SUPPORT SMALE-SCALE FARMERS IN NORTHERN PROVINCE

By MacPherson Mukuka in Lusaka

Musika is supporting Zambeef’s US$800,000 smallholder cattle development project in Northern Province with the delivery of a new Toyota Hilux that will be used in implementing the farming project.

The scheme is aimed at increasing animal productivity among small-scale farmers in the region, and the vehicle from Musika is intended to bolster Zambeef’s smallholder cattle development project in Mbala, where Zambeef already has infrastructure in place together with staff on site including a vet and animal disease specialists and trainers.

The partnership between food giant Zambeef and Musika, which is an independent non-profit company in Zambia, was sealed after Zambeef’s head of marketing and corporate affairs Felix Lupindula’ received the vehicle on behalf of Zambeef from Musika managing director Reuben Banda.

Mr. Lupindula said Zambeef seeks to improve the breeding and productivity of the livestock in the northern area, through education and training of farmers in matters concerning disease control and general management of livestock.

Under the same investment project, Musika is also donating several motorbikes that will be used in the training and education of small-scale farmers in best farming practices in the northern region.

He said through the veterinary services, Zambeef will effectively train small-scale farmers on deworming, dipping cattle, branding and vaccination. Zambeef will also bring in exotic breeds of cattle to breed with the local cattle through insemination and this is vital for local livestock farmers to understand in order to be effective.

Musika’s investment strengthens private sector projects by providing logistical support that helps to improve the efficiency and scope of such farming ventures.

Musika’s core strategy is to support commodity traders, buyers and processors to establish long-term commercial relationships with smallholders that involve not just commodity marketing opportunities but access to inputs, new technologies and the provision of extension services to small-scale farmers.

Speaking after handing over the vehicle, Musika managing director Reuben Banda said this project between Musika and Zambeef is all about increasing animal production in the northern circuit, and Musika is taking advantage of what Zambeef has already invested in.

He said Zambeef has an abattoir in Mbala and we want to use Mbala as a learning curve and expand to outlying districts, so the whole idea is to ensure that we increase animal population in northern Zambia.

Zambeef’s abattoir in Mbala is used as a base for developing a robust smallholder livestock supply chain. With this abattoir and other Zambeef’s established nationwide value-adding facilities and distribution network, farmers can tap into markets that may otherwise be unavailable.

Musika estimates that over 500 farmers will participate in the cattle supply chain once it is fully operational.

Zambeef has a similar project with the NGO in Mongu where a US$150,000 milk plant aimed at supporting the growth of small-scale dairy farmers in Western Province has been installed.

Zambeef provides technical assistance, training and guidance, and a working knowledge of animal husbandry to small-scale dairy farmers on how to improve dairy management and livestock productivity.

2 NEW DISTRICTS CREATED IN MPIKA

By MacPherson Mukuka in Mpika

The process of creating new districts in Mpika has reached an advanced
stage.

Mpika District Commissioner MOSES KATEBE says once completed, the process will result in
the creation of two more districts out of Mpika.

Speaking when Mpika Central member of Parliament SYLVIA CHALIKOSA paid a
courtesy call on him at his office, Mr. Katebe disclosed that Chiundaponde
and Mpumba Chiefdoms will form one new district, while Kopa, Luchembe,
Lupepo and Kabinga will form another district.

He has further disclosed that Mpika Central will have to itself Nabwalya,
Mukungule, and Chikwanda chiefdoms to form a third district.

Mr. Katebe has cited the vastness of the district and high population as
some of reasons for the split.

And Mpika Central Member of Parliament SYLVIA CHALIKOSA says splitting the
District will help in effective public service delivery to all residents in
the area.

The lawmaker said other challenges Mpika is facing are poor road network
and long distances covered to access social services, such as health and
education.

She said Mpika has over 80 Thousand People in 300 villages with only 3
hospitals adding that this alone poses it's of challenges.

Initiative for the Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA)

 MacPherson Mukuka

27 African countries adopt the Marrakesh Declaration, thus forming a coalition for the Adaptation of African Agriculture to Climate Change ahead of COP22 negotiations.

At the conclusion of the High-Level Meeting held in Marrakesh on September 30, 2016, around the initiative for the Adaptation of African Agriculture, 20 ministers and 27 delegations have adopted the Marrakesh Declaration, which consolidates these countries’ commitment to placing the Adaptation of African Agriculture at the heart of COP22 negotiations.

The Declaration also endows the initiative with a concrete action plan. In all, 27 countries have been represented during the Meeting, which has been attended by 300 participants.

The creation of a real coalition for the Adaptation of African Agriculture to Climate Change, ahead of COP22 and beyond.

After two days of discussions among politicians, scientists, academics, private-sector leaders, and representatives from international organisations, the High-Level Meeting has concluded with the adoption of the Marrakesh Declaration.

In all, 27 African countries have adopted the Declaration, marking the inception of a coalition that aims to place the Adaptation of African Agriculture at the heart of COP22 negotiations.

The AAA coalition is determined to respond to the high expectations pinned on COP22 – which will run from November 7 to 18 in Marrakesh – so as to make it the “COP of Action” and the “COP of Africa.”

 A concrete action plan for AAA funding and implementation

The Marrakesh Declaration outlines the actions and objectives that the countries are committed to:

• Endorse the principle of a larger, more effective and efficient public and private funding, as well as the principle of monitoring the funds disbursed for the Adaptation of African Agriculture, with an easier access to climate funds for African projects.
• Contribute to actions and solutions through the Global Climate Action Agenda and any other related framework, highlighting African projects and good practices in such fields as soil management (including carbon storage in soils), agricultural-water control, climate-risk management, and funding small farmers, who constitute one of the most vulnerable groups, thereby facilitating access to research in agriculture; 
• Place agriculture at the heart of climate negotiations by emphasising a sustainable increase in productivity and agricultural earnings, while adapting and developing resilience to climate change; 
• Work towards building African capacities in terms of agricultural policies and programmes, and setting up and managing sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural projects.

The High-Level Meeting also marks the starting point of the “#WEAAARE” communications campaign, which aims to raise civil-society awareness and to mobilise the international community around the AAA initiative ahead of COP22.

 

The 27 countries are: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo.

 

Source: Marrakesh, Morocco

CHONGWE RIVER DRIES UP AGAIN!

By MacPherson Mukuka in Lusaka

Effects of Climate change and global warming have continued to pose a huge threat on the welfare of many people in affected areas.

In Zambia, one of the major problems some sections of the country faces is shortage of water, either tap water or natural river water.

This is despite the country sitting on about 60 percent of Southern Africa’s aquifer.

Lusaka’s Chongwe District is one of the areas that have in the recent past faced a series of challenges in as far as water is concerned.

The District has for the last 5 years being grappling with water challenges every dry season despite having enough rainfall in the previous rainy season.

In 2013, the District’s only source of natural water subject for treatment, The Chongwe River completely dried up.

This caused the Water utility firm to start transporting water from the Capital, Lusaka to Chongwe in bowsers just so to mitigate the situation.

The Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) also engaged the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to help mitigate the water problems in Chongwe district.

ZNS was brought on board to dig up the Chongwe River to prevent a reoccurrence of situation in.

Company Spokesperson Topsy Sikalinda then said in an interview that digging of the river was aimed at making it deeper in order to reduce chances of it drying up. 

He expressed optimism that the efforts will bring a lasting solution to the water problem in the district.

He further said ZNS was using bulldozers and earth moving equipment to dig up the ground.

And in 2015, the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company declared its preparedness to address the water shortage which was experienced in Chongwe district during the dry season in the last two years.

Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company acting Marketing and Public Relations Manager Damasake Chibale told said the water utility company had put measures in place to curb the problem.

Mr. Chibale said the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company had put in place both short term and long term measures to resolve the water problem.

He attributed the water problems that had been faced in Chongwe district for the past two dry seasons to poor rainfall and farming activities conducted between that district and Lusaka in which water is being trapped for irrigation by some farmers. 

He added that already, the water problem in Chongwe was normalizing.

Mr. Chibale said the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company has been supplying water to Chongwe using water bowsers as a short term measure to ensure that residents in the area have the commodity adequately.

He said a dedicated pipeline will be put in place as a long term measure. 

Mr. Chibale said physical work on the Kafue-Chongwe pipeline was to start in the second quarter of 2015.

He also said additional water reservoirs, which will receive enough water to supply to Lusaka city and surrounding areas, including Chongwe, will be put in place.

He further said the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company was to start sensitizing its customers on water conservation and usage. 

However, the measures that seemed to be lasting solutions have not worked to the advantage of the water utility company and the residents as the River has dried up again.

This has now prompted the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company to shut down the Chongwe water treatment plant with immediate effect.

Company Interim Managing Director, MANUEL MUTALE says the decision to shut the plant has been necessitated by the lower water levels and subsequent drying of the Chongwe River.

 Mr. MUTALE said the Company has put up measures to immediately start transporting water by road from Lusaka into Chongwe until the rainy season.

He said the water utility company is working closely with the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit under the office of the Vice President to deal with the matter.

Mr. MUTALE said that the effects of global warming are real and the utility has already put in place measures to mitigate the situation.

He said one of the long term measures being put in place  is drilling of some boreholes about 11 kilometers away from Chongwe town .

Mr. MUTALE said the project is underway and once all required logistics are in place, the well field will be done to mitigate shortage of water during dry seasons in Chongwe district. 

He says the town has no ground water hence adding that it is a challenge to drill boreholes in the area.

Mr. MUTALE has further urged the customers to show responsibility by conserving water during the dry season in order to ease the pressure of increased demand during this period of the year. 

AFRICA DIRECTIONS AND PLAN INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS IN CHILD AND YOUTH FRIENDLY CITIES PROJECT

By MacPherson Mukuka in Lusaka

Africa Directions and Plan International have entered into a three year partnership to run a project called Child and Youth Friendly Cities in advancing children and young people’s rights to the city.

The project will contribute towards achieving one of AD’s strategic direction and directly contribute to realising the 2030 Sustainable development goal number 11: Making cities and human settlement inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

The project is focusing on five cities in Sub Saharan Africa Dakar, Freetown, Harare, Monrovia and Lusaka in order to foster peer exchange among the five African Cities and provide an opportunity for sharing lessons during the period of the project. Africa Directions selected three slums in Lusaka namely Mtendere, Kalikiliki and Chibolya as its target communities for this project.

AD Executive Director Mark Chilongu says his organisation is being a bit ambitious to try and target one of the most dangerous compounds in Lusaka.

He says the organisation wants to try and see how it can contribute to changing lives of most children and young people growing up in an environment like Chibolya as well as advocate for child and youth friendly spaces in the selected compounds.

Mr. Chilongu added that the project is more of an advocacy and not necessarily a humanitarian project.

He said urban youth governance project is going to fight urban child poverty and exclusion by contributing to the development of child and youth friendly cities, where children and young people enjoy their rights and actively shape the urban environment.

He further said that in each of the three compounds in Lusaka, Africa Directions is looking at: Strengthening young people’s participation and influence decision making (Urban Governance) affecting their urban environments, Strengthen urban grassroots youth civil society.

He said the organisation is focusing on three areas because it believes that strong grassroots civil society organisation are essential in taking citizens interests forward with the authorities, private sector stakeholders and other powerholders adding that a united and well-organised civil society can hold the relevant authorities accountable.

Mr. Chilongu has indicated that that project is important because as youth organisation, AD believes that Children and young people have a right to participating in decisions that affect them including decision about how their communities and their development change.

He said young people have strong and creative ideas about how to make their communities better and can be major asset for their own communities and the city as whole.

He added that very often, young people are finding it extremely difficult to participate and be heard in decision making processes.

Mr. Chilongu has however cited bureaucracy as a major hindrance to progress adding that levels of authority and opportunities for participation are unclear, and local authorities and other duty bearers are not always inviting or receptive of young people’s views (Especially girls) due to negative cultural norms.

He said investing in young people and supporting their claim and participation can bring about long lasting and locally relevant improvements–for the sake of the entire community.

He said, with little support, young people can accomplish anything they put their minds to, from community action to improving the physical urban environment, create public spaces, improve garbage collection or child-protection.

The AD Executive Director further stated that there is need to catch them young if meaningful contribution can be attained from the young people.

Mr. Chilongu also expressed his organisation's delight for the partnership with Plan International on the project.
He has also indicated that AD remains grateful to Government's support through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing and the Lusaka City Council who participated during its first stakeholder meeting of the project.

Mr. Chilongu has since pledged AD's continued strategic engagement with Government Ministries during the entire project cycle.

He said AD believes that such grassroots level initiatives should be harnessed more to engage with communities so that every child’s rights are respected.

Source: Mark Chilongu