Successful youth entrepreneur tips colleagues

A 29-year-old youth of Chinsali district in Muchinga Province has called on his fellow youths in the area to apply for the youth empowerment funds which will help them alleviate poverty in their communities.

And Director of Youth from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Cade Chikobo is impressed that young people in the area are utilizing the empowerment funds properly.

Fig Youth Group Director, Innocent Mulenga, said his group was privileged to be part of the youth groups that benefited from the government’s youth empowerment programme.

Mr. Mulenga has told the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) that the funds which his group received have so far helped in improving the living standards of the group members.

”When we received the funds last year, we started a chicken run and since then our living standards have improved and we have also empowered other youths by employing them,” he said.

He said the business is going on well and very profitable.

He has since thanked the government for recognizing the potential that the young people who are not in formal employment have.

And Yude Enterprise manager, Humphrey Moyo, thanked President Edgar Lungu for the many empowerment programmes taking place in the country.

Mr. Moyo, whose club is involved in carpentry and joinery, designing and tailoring as well as catering, said Yude Enterprise makes a profit of more than K15, 000 per month.

“My group received K40, 000 last year from the youth empowerment programme and so far it has multiplied and we get more than K15, 000 per month as our profit,” he said.

He has since encouraged other people to apply for the funds saying the Patriotic Front government is a listening administration that wants to change the young people’s mindset and livelihood.

“We have created employment for ourselves and our work is visible. It is through the same empowerment that we are now able to make our own money and support ourselves,” he said.

Meanwhile, Director of Youth from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Cade Chikobo said he is impressed to see young people in the area utilizing the empowerment funds properly.

Mr. Chikobo said the groups that have been monitored so far have made tremendous progress in their businesses.

He added that this was testimony of President Lungu’s commitment to improve the lives of the young people.

”I call upon Chinsali residents to support these youths by buying their products,” he said.

Mr. Chikobo has since called on the beneficiaries of the youth empowerment to pay back to government so that other young people can also benefit from the same funds.

He added that youth groups that pay back the funds to government have a chance to get more money once they apply because they can be trusted.

“Am encouraging you to pay back this money so that you can now acquire more funds that will help improve your business further,” he said.

The Director of Youth further appealed to the young people to apply for the funds saying the ministry was ready to respond in a positive manner.

He said President Lungu has assured young entrepreneurs that government will support them because his desire is to see more youths get empowered.

Over 300 youth groups in Muchinga Province benefited from the multi-sectoral youth empowerment programme fund, which was launched by President Lungu in Lusaka last year in August.