Apply for consideration in 'youth resettlement scheme', youths advised

Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development acting permanent secretary, Alfonso Banda, says skills and entrepreneurship training has the capacity to drive the economy to its full potential. 

Mr Banda said this at Lusaka Youth Resource Centre during a graduation ceremony for youths from police camps. 

The centre graduated 86 youths in ICT, a course that was sponsored by Nkwazi Women’s Club and the Zambia Police Gender office, Zambia daily-mail reports. 

He called on stakeholders to support the provision of skills training to young people because Government alone cannot afford to cater for everyone. 

Mr Banda said Government has put in place a number of measures to address the challenge of unemployment among the youth. 

He cited the youth development fund which provides financing to viable projects by young entrepreneurs; the action plan for youth empowerment and employment; and the youth resettlement scheme. 

Mr Banda advised young people with interest in agriculture to apply for free land under the resettlement scheme. 

“I call upon all the youth that want to venture into agriculture to apply for consideration to be resettled in the youth resettlement schemes,” he said. 

And speaking at the same event, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eugene Sibote warned youths of stern action if they allow themselves to be used as tools of violence ahead of the August 11 general elections. 

He called on well-meaning individuals to assist young people realize their full potential in constructive ways and not through violence. 

“Allow me to warn the youth that involvement in illicit activities such as violence shall not be condoned and the consequences thereof may be too ghastly to contemplate. 

“It is my belief that there are many constructive ways in which young people can be assisted develop into responsible citizens, than selfishly luring them into illegal activities that can only dent their future and leave them on the wrong end of the law,” Mr Sibote said. 

Mr Sibote expressed happiness at the success of the course on Information and Communication Technology (ICTs), and said that the police command is considering rolling out similar programmes to other provinces.