Lusaka DESO Mirriam Namezi extols Mark Chilongu’s African Directions over covid 19 donations

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Lusaka DESO Mirriam Namezi extols Mark Chilongu’s African Directions

By Derrick Sinjela – Kwilanzi News Zambia – Rainbow Newspaper Zambia Limited

Lusaka District Education Officer (DESO) Mrs Mirriam Namezi has applauded African Directions for supplementing Government effort in providing a conducive environment.

Meanwhile, African Directions Executive Director Mark Chilongu has restated a resolve to continue providing Comprehensive Sexuality Education to learners and children out of school parameters.

Receiving foot-powered 100 litre washing basins and toilatories on behalf of pupils, at Bauze Youth Centre in Mutendere Township, Mrs. Namezi expressed delight that the African Directions contribution will go a long way in keeping learners and tutors safe.

A soft-spoken Mrs. Namezi encouraged other people of goodwill to emulate African Directions, as she assured parents of a conducive environment being in place.

The Lusaka District Education Officer, observed that authorities guided by General Education Minister David Mabumba had ensured that learning institutions are insured against covid 19.

On his part, Mr. Chilongu reiterated African Directions resolve to supporting the Zambian Government as it’s activities involve learning institutions and teachers.

 

 

And in a Vote of thanks, a pupil at New Mutendere Secondary School, Taonga Mwenda praised African Directions for providing sanitary tools and materials which included branded facemasks.

 

Justice Minister Given Lubinda and Fisheries and Livestock Minister, Professor Nkandu Luo were represented by Professional Assistant in the Kabwata Parliamentary Office, Mr. Prosper Chifuwe

SPEECH BY THE PROVINCIAL EDUCATION OFFICER MRS MIRRIAM NAMEZI DURING THE COVID 19 DONATION BY AFRICA DIRECTIONS AT BAUZE YOUTH CENTRE IN MTENDERE.

• THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AFRICA DIRECTIONS – MR. MARK CHILONGU
• THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE OFFICES OF THE MEMMBERS OF PARLIAMENT FOR MUNALI AND KABWATA CONSTITUENCY
• THE AREA WARD COUNCILORS – FROM CHILENJE AND MTENDERE WARDS- HON MTONGA AND MWAPE
• EDUCATION STANDARD OFFICER SPECIAL EDUCATION
• THE IN COUNTRY CORDINATOR-MINISTRY OF GENERAL EDUCATION.
• ALL HEADTEACHERS HERE PRESENT
• MEMBERS OF THE PRESS
• LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

I AM EXTREMELY GRATIFIED AND HUMBLED TO GRACE THIS VERY IMPORTANT EVENT THAT IS AIMED AT SUPPLEMENTING THE EFFORTS OF THE MINISTRY OF GENERAL EDUCATION IN THE FIGHT AGINST COVID 19.

I AM EXTREMLY HAPPY NOT JUST BECAUSE WE ARE WITNESSING THE DONATION OF THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO SELECTED SCHOOLS IN MY PROVINCE BUT WHAT GRATIFIES ME MORE IS THAT THIS DONATION IS BEING DONE BY AN INDEGINOUS COMMUNITY BASED YOUTH ORGANISATION.
THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED THE ENTIRE GLOBAL VILLAGE AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN SPARED, TO THIS EFFECT WE HAVE SEEN VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS AFRICA DIRECTIONS COME TO THE AID OF GOVERNMENT BY DONATING VARIOUS RESOURCES.

MY OFFICE IS EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH GESTURES SUCH AS THIS ONE BY AFRICA DIRECTIONS BECAUSE IT DEMOSTARATE GOVERNMENT`S MULTI SECTORAL APPROACH IN ADDRESSING ISSUES AFFECTING ITS CITIZENS.
DIRECTOR, I AM AWARE OF THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WORK THAT AFRICA DIRECTIONS CONTINUES TO DO IN ZAMBIA WITH THE SUPPORT FROM ITS VARIOUS PARTNERS, I AM ALSO AWARE THAT SINCE INCEPTION OF YOUR ORGANISATION TWO DECADES AGO, AD HAS RECORDED SOME SIGNIFICANT RESULTS IN ADVOCATING FOR CHILD AND YOUTH FRIENDLY SPACES, GOVERNANCE, GENDER BASED VIOLENCE, YOUTH ENTREPRENURESHIP TRAININGS, YOUTH LERDAERSHIP, CAPACITY BUILDING AND COMPOREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION FOR BOTH IN AND OUT OF SCHOLL ADOLESCENTS.

I AM AWARE THAT YOU HAVE NOT LEFT OUT SCHOOLS IN YOUR INTERRVATIONS AND PROGRAMMES AND I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT WE ARE READY TO WORK WITH YOUR ORGANISATION TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE LIVES OF OUR LEARNERS AS WELL AS SUPPLEMENT OUR MINISTRY’S EFFORT IN COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION.

THE GESTURE BEING POTRAYED TODAY IS AS IT SHOULD BE, YOUTH ORGANISATIONS MUST NOT ONLY BE SEEN TO BE ACTIVE WHEN IT IS TIME TO CRITICIZE OUR OFFICES BUT ALSO SHOW SOLIDARITY AND CONCERN TO ISSUES THAT AFFECT US AS WHOLE BY NOT JUST TALKING BUT ALSO BY PROVIDING SOLUTIONS SUCH AS THESE.

BE ASSURED DIRECTOR THAT THE DONATION WILL GO A LONG WAY AND CERTAINLY HELP PROTECT THE LEARNERS FROM THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC.
IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE THAT AFRICA DIRECTIONS HAS CONTINUED TO EVOLVE IN ADVANCING COMMUNITY YOUTH –LED INITIATIVES.

I WANT TO ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU AND THE ENTIRE TEAM OF AFRICA DIRECTIONS FOR THIS NOBLE GESTURE AND IMPLORE ALL SCHOOLS PRESENT TO WORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS AD.

THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN AND MAY GOD BLESS ZAMBIA.

SPEECH BY AFRICA DIRECTIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARK CHANDA CHILONGU DURING HAND OVER CEREMONY OF COVID19 MATERIALS TO SCHOOLS.

Firstly, I wish to thank you all for having made it to this event on short notice and it with great joy and honour that I stand before you all on behalf of Africa Directions to contribute towards the fight against Covid19 response in different ways. The Corona Virus pandemic has greatly affected the way we do business globally and those of us who work with both in and out school young people have equally been adversely affected. Considering the Presidential address during his last National address to partly open public places which included the opening of schools especially those in exam classes. We saw it fit for us to support and supplement Government schools with a few materials that can aid to stop the further spread of Covid19 among the school going young people. As a youth organization working to advance children and young people rights in Zambia, we believe that education is key to everlasting enlightenment and we support your Government consideration of opening up exam classes for our children and young people so that they do not lag behind in terms of education.

We are also aware of the many strides Government is making to ensure that we contain the epidemic as well as concentrate on the economic transformation of the country. In this current situation, it is time we all worked together in addressing this pandemic. There is a lot of talk and divisions in as far as the pandemic is concerned. We have heard a lot of misinformation over the pandemic but this will not help the country. A house divided by itself cannot stand we the Zambian people must always endvour to find common ground particularly during this devastating period of Covid19, therefore, implore all well-meaning Zambians to continue supporting Government and communities in combating this enemy we can’t see called covid19 (Corona Virus).

It is with this reason that we requested our partners to help the Government in the fight against Covid19. As an organization, we have invested 215,000 kwacha as a contribution towards the Covid19 response. The following are some of the activities we have been undertaking.

• Development of short videos integrating covid19 and sexual reproductive Health messages
• Use of social media
• Radio programs on covid19 awareness
• Use of public address system for community awareness on Covid19
• Making and branding of face masks including hand sanitizers and hand wash soap.
• Purchase of 100 litres water tanks to be donated to the schools present here.
• Continuous virtual meetings with our volunteers and staff in addressing our call mandate.

We wish to thank our partners ELMA Foundation, KNH, SAFAIDS DIAKONIA and SAT Zambia for their continued support in addressing children and young people’s rights amid Covid19. We would also like to thank the Ministry of Education for the collaboration that has helped enhance our reach on issues of sexuality among school going young people. We believe in the Government’s multi sectorial approach in addressing the many issues affecting Children and Young people and the schools present here have greatly helped in the planning and implementation of our programming.

(Emphasize on SRHR as well)

Lastly, it is our sincere hope that these materials like face masks will help especially the vulnerable young people who are not able to afford face masks due to their family’s economic challenges.

God bless you all and God bless Zambia.

I thank You