Government will this year spend K2.2 million on supporting over 1,000 women and girls under the Girls Education Women Empowerment Livelihood (GEWEL) programme in Chienge district in Luapula Province.

In June this year, the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services rolled out the programme to Chienge to ensure that more vulnerable people benefit from the programme. Chienge district community development officer Shinka Chanda said in an interview that the programme will benefit 1,121 women in the district.

Mr Chanda said the women will receive start-up capital for their businesses and that recipients have been scrutinised by the ministry.
“The beneficiaries will undergo entrepreneurial trainings next month to assist them in coming up with viable business proposals which they can pursue,” he said.

Mr Chanda said each beneficiary is expected to receive K2,000 start-up capital. He said the GEWEL programme seeks to financially empower women to enable them to support their families. Mr Chanda said more vulnerable people will be supported under the same programme next year in line with Government’s pro-poor policies aimed at improving the socio-economic welfare of citizens.

He urged the beneficiaries of the programme to utilise the money for its intended purpose. He also assured farmers that the department will soon start identifying would-be beneficiaries for the Food Security Pack programm