Africa should continue wooing investors’

AFRICA should create a good environment for investors to foster public private partnerships for advanced sustainable economic growth on the continent.
This was said at the three-day second African Union private sector and agribusiness forum that was here recently.
The forum ran under the theme ‘transforming Africa’s agriculture for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods: harnessing opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable development’.
In her keynote address, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture for African Union Commission Rhoda Tumusiime noted that there is an increase in the number of private sector firms that seek to partner with African governments in fostering change in the agriculture sector.
Ms Tumusiime said there is need to scale up and replicate these efforts in a sustainable and all-inclusive manner.
She said “as the AUC we will continue to pursue mutually beneficial long-term relationships that we see building between the private sector and our governments that will be based on mutual understanding of incentives, roles and expectations of the public and private sectors.”
Ms Tumusiime also earlier noted that member states should take agriculture as a business that has to be financed.
She said unless the sector is funded to play its role, it will not be able to contribute the much-needed rewards and other multiplier effects on improved food, nutrition, jobs, wealth and social welfare.
Meanwhile, Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Geraldine Mukeshimana said agribusiness remains important in that it contributes to poverty reduction.
Ms Mukeshimana said agribusiness contributes three percent to Africa’s gross domestic product.
She said African governments should take advantage of the increasing population as this will increase demand for food.
“Unfortunately we are seeing a situation where there is reduced investment in agriculture worldwide which has resulted in food shortage and poverty,” Ms Mukeshimana said.

Panos launches $150,000 scheme for governance

PANOS Institute Southern Africa (PSAF) has launched a US$150,000 radio platform for participation of the marginalised rural communities on the management and governance of natural resources in the Southern African Development Community.
The project will cover Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Although it was pegged to be operationalised by September this year, it is late by a month and is expected to end in October 2015.
And rural community radio stations will be used as a mode of communication that communities will have to enhance their participation.
Speaking during the radio platform citizen participation regional conference in Lusaka yesterday, PSAF executive director Lilian Keifer noted that the intervention of involving rural communities will enable them engage in dialogue and debate on the management and governance of the region’s natural resources and how they can be improved for their own benefit.
Ms Keifer said the thematic focus of the project is the intervention in extractive industries.
“It goes without saying that local communities have faced the brunt of the negative effects of the extractive activities in their areas. These range from toxic waste in the sources of the water and other sources of livelihoods, internal displacement, and poor working conditions, among others,” she said.
Ms Keifer said people do not have an opportunity of channels through which they can communicate their sufferings.
“PSAF sees the need to empower these communities with platforms like radio listening clubs where they can receive information on how to demand accountability from these industries and claim their protection and dignity,” she said.
Speaking at the same function, Panos Great Lakes regional director Cyprien Ndikumana said the project will help restore peace, especially in countries where wrangles are prominent due to abundant natural resources.
Mr Ndikumana added that local people will be able to air their views on the management of natural resources and “this will raise awareness to politicians, who will know exactly what rural communities have to say over their own minerals.”

Teachers’ best suited to campaign for selves

TEACHER unions are in a better position to wage a serious campaign to uplift the status and position of women and girls in the country, Education Deputy permanent secretary Christine Mayondi has said.
Officiating at the first ever Southern African Women in Education Network (SAWEN) conference in Lusaka yesterday, Ms Mayondi said teacher unions have the ability to address some of the hurdles preventing the advancement of women and girls due to their presence countrywide.
The conference attracted participants from Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
She said teacher unions must be seen in the frontline fighting the negative vices that hinder the development and advancement of women and girls.
“I’m calling upon the Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) to become a trend setter to accord our women folk more opportunities and positions of leadership in the union at all levels. As unions, you should be seen to promote gender equality by practicing what we preach,” Ms Mayondi said.
Speaking earlier, ZNUT General Secretary Newman Bubala said issues of gender were cardinal to the Zambian government as evident in the creation of the gender ministry.
Mr Bubala said this shows how passionate Zambia is with the advancement of girls and women.
He said “in every teacher union in Zambia we have ensured there is a gender desk.”
And SAWEN president Leah Kasaji pledged to include more women to serve in teacher union positions.
Ms Kasaji noted that if that is to be achieved there is need to all teacher unions countrywide and the region to work together.
She however said “the teacher unions will not relent but to ensure they contribute to the fight against teen pregnancies among schoolgirls.”

Engage youths in farming, Agribiz winner urges stakeholders

AFRICA’s agricultural transformation is attainable if youths are engaged in high farming, a 2014 AgriBiz for Africa Youth Competition winner Nickson Muturi has said.
Speaking during the second high-level African Union private sector agribusiness forum in Kigali recently, Mr Muturi noted that African governments should develop profitable agricultural policies that will enable youths engage in farming.
The meeting, which attracted participants across Africa, was running under the theme ‘Transforming Africa’s agriculture for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods: harnessing opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable development.’
Mr Muturi said, “I am suggesting that we need to have role models in the agriculture sector that will inspire the youths to engage in farming as that will have potential to transform the sector in Africa.”
Additionally, chairperson for chamber of young entrepreneurs in Rwanda Lydie Hakizimana said it’s time African leaders paid attention to youths in agriculture.
Ms Hakizimana noted that youths in agriculture are not given better incentives and that is why majority of them leave the sector.
And Nigeria’s Fresh and Young Brains development initiative chairperson Nkiruka Nnaemego said the youths in agriculture not only need role models but mentors.
Ms Nnaemego said Africa needs to introduce awards scheme that will motivate youths in the agriculture sector.

President Sata child rights defender’

AMONG child rights activists, President Sata will be remembered as a defender and champion of children’s rights.
His countless engagements with children from all walks of lives are evident following the different interactions he and First Lady Christine Kaseba had with them at State House.
In an interview, Media Network for Child Rights and Development (MNCRD) project manager Prisca Sikana said the late President recognised children as citizens of the land.
Ms Sikana said during his three-year tenure, President Sata paid attention to children by ensuring they had access to basic needs such as education and good health.
She said “this was demonstrated through adding mother and child health issues to Ministry of Community Development and putting together the Ministry of Gender and Child Development. Children issues were moved from Youth and Sport where we as child rights activists believed it was overshadowed”.
Ms Sikana added that the introduction of a new realistic curriculum which was promised for many years also became a reality for the Zambian child.
In a separate interview, Advocacy for Juvenile Justice executive director Josephat Njobvu said the late President was a pro-poor person who looked into the plight of children from all walks of life.
Mr Njobvu said during the three years Mr Sata served as President, the country saw a number of legal reforms which included those that looked into the plight of juvenile justice.
He said “juvenile justice legal reforms were incorporated into the current laws of the land”.

Agriculture key to improvement’

TO MIRIAM Chunga, a small holder farmer of Shamundende village in Sichanzu ward, central Zambia, farming has not only enabled her raise finances but has greatly improved the health of her family.
Before venturing into farming three years ago, the Chunga household had been faced with malnutrition due to lack of sufficient food.
For the past three years, Mr Chunga has religiously been growing crops such beans, spinach, okra, tomatoes, onions and various vegetables on a 50sq meter piece of land. The fact that she has a well which never runs dry at her farm has also been a plus for her.
“The dietary needs of my family have greatly improved since I ventured into farming. We are now able to eat nutritious meals every day. Apart from improving our diet, I am also able to buy other foods to supplement our nutritious diet as well as send my children to school by selling the surplus farm produce,” Chunga narrated.
About 300 metres away from Ms Chunga is another small holder farmer, Mervis Chibeleki who specialises in animal farming. Ms Chibeleki’s family diet has also improved because of her involvement in farming.
Ms Chibeleki who started animal farming in 2012 owns goats and chickens but also has a garden like the rest of the farmers in the village.
Like Ms Chunga, Ms Chibeleki’s interest in animal farming was in a bid to escape poverty and malnutrition.
“When I started, I had one goat and one chicken. Now, I am a proud owner of seven goats and 20 chickens. Animal farming has proven to be a good source of proteins recommended for health living,” Ms Chibeleki said.
Evidently agriculture does not only play a role in food security but also contributes to the good health of citizens particularly children.
Child malnutrition has proved to be a challenge in most developing countries. In Zambia, 45 per cent of children under five years old have stunted; a situation which has been attributed to poor diet and health.
It is against this background that Realigning Agriculture to Improve Nutrition (RAIN) project was initiated in Mumbwa district to help small holder farmers improve the nutrition of households.
Mumbwa district with an estimated population of 218,328 has child stunting levels at 43 per cent.
RAIN, a project implemented by Concern Worldwide with support from Irish Aid and Kerry Group, is a five year one programme which aims at eradicating malnutrition among families in Mumbwa.
Small holder farmers under the RAIN project mainly focuses on food production and diversification of household consumption. Framers also focus on cultivating and processing a variety of crops.
The crops grown which are chosen based on their nutritional value include legumes (cowpeas, groundnuts, biofortified beans, orange fleshed sweet potatoes), vegetables (amaranthus, rape, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, pumpkins, green beans) and fruits (banana suckers, granadillas, watermelons).
Additionally, the farmers boast of a ‘goat pass on scheme’ which aims at ensuring they all have animal source products that provides the much-needed proteins and minerals.
RAIN project district programme coordinator Concern Worldwide Richard Mwape said about 45, 000 households have so far been empowered with the know how to improve their nutrition.
Mr Mwape said agriculture has potential to improve food security and reduce hunger levels currently being experienced by many families.
“The use of agriculture to fight child stunted growth in Mumbwa district couldn’t have come at a better time especially that majority of households (87 per cent) have access to land,” he said.
Another organisation which places emphasis on ending hunger and malnutrition in Africa is NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), a continental framework for transforming agriculture in Africa.
The framework aims at improving national status by elimination child under-nutrition in Africa with a view of bringing down stunted growth to 10 per cent and underweight to five per cent by 2015.
And Mumbwa District administrative officer Charles Hamphande has recommended for more projects that will reduce hunger and increase food security as well as provide nutrition.
Mr Hamphande however said there is need for guidance on the type of crops small holder farmers can diversify in to reduce hunger.
Irish ambassador to Zambia, Finbar O’Brien said addressing under-nutrition and hidden hunger through nutrition needed the integrational approach as malnutrition across sectors.
Mr O’Brien said there have been some levels of success especially with the reduction in under-five mortality rates but Zambia can do much more.
“However, nutrition for growth commitments to reduce under nutrition by 50 per cent and increase nutrition funding by 20 per cent year are a bold statement of commitment,” Mr O’Brien.
And Deputy Minister-Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Greyford Monde said the government is cognizant that combating under-nutrition will result in improved social welfare and eventual reduction in poverty levels in the country.
Mr Monde said hunger affects human health and development.
“It is for this reason that Government is developing operational guidelines for the promotion of diverse locally available and processed foods,” he said.

Street child narrates sexual abuse ordeal

A SOMBRE mood engulfed the whole place as tears rolled down people’s cheeks when Mary Tembo (17) emotionally shared her experience about the sexual abuse she has suffered at the hands of other street children daily.
With a solemn heart- breaking song done by the Sakala Brothers playing in the background, Mary seemingly turned the whole event into a funeral service when she mentioned that she also suffered sexual abuse from police officers and security guards at the expense of giving her solace.
This news sent shivers down the spine of the listeners who found it rather absurd that security personnel, who are supposed to be the custodians of the law and order, actually engage themselves in such vices.
Mary narrated that street girls hardly sleep at night because they are repeatedly raped and defiled by older male street children.
“When we run to the police station to seek help and shelter, the police officers take turns in defiling us, saying we have no choice but to give in because we need their protection. Sometimes security guards come to pick us for sex in exchange for a place to sleep,” she lamented.
The plight of street children, whose stories remain untold because no one bothers to hear them. They have no one to fight for them; no one to help them seek medical services when they are defiled, sodomised and raped.
The ordeal faced by Mary and other girls has seen an increase in the HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection (STI) levels among street children.
Boys on the streets are also faced with a risk of sodomy from older male street children and homosexuals in communities.
Uhm! When everyone seems to care less, heavens have smiled on the street children as Fountain of Hope (FoH) launched a One Stop Drop-in centre for street children. The centre will be a safety net to save the lives of street children and others.
The facility, which is based in Lusaka’s Kamwala township and supported by Save the Children, is an appropriate and supreme means to deal with the gender- based violence street children face.
FOH founder and board chairperson Rodgers Mwewa explained that the One Stop Drop-in centre has been designed to save both the children on the streets and others that do not have access to quality and timely healthcare services.
“As you may be aware, these abuses include sexual abuse which is the primary transfer of HIV/AIDS and STIs among children,” he charged.
Mr Mwewa, who is also Mwansabombwe member of Parliament, said the facility will have a clinic which will provide care services aimed at preventing transmission through the administration of post-exposure prophylaxis (PRP) to sexually-abused girls, and offer effective contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies that come with such abuse.
“We will also administer treatment to victims that will ensure STIs are brought to an end,” he added.
Aside from treatment, the centre will have paralegals who will advise on the law once a case of defilement is established and counsellors will also be housed there.
FoH, which opened its doors to the public in 1996, has over the past decade helped more than 100 children to attain their higher education.
FoH school caters for 500 children from grade one to seven and offers 120 children with good shelter and protection, as well as access to basic human needs.
However, FoH has a challenge of a safe house for street girls but there is an alternative arrangement where Young Women Christian Association houses them.
This cheered Gender and Child Health minister Inonge Wina who commended FoH for this unusual initiative. The visibly elated Ms Wina said such an initiative is welcome as it supplements Government’s efforts in the fight against streetism and gender-based violence against street children.
She charged that the levels of HIV/AIDS and STIs are high and Government will create the much-needed conducive environment for the children to realise their full potential.
Ms Wina said the pandemic is robbing the children of their childhood, which is not supposed to be the case as they are a foundation of any nation.
“The facility will greatly assist our children who fall victim to gender-based violence in its many forms, namely defilement, physical abuse, emotional and psychological abuse. It will decongest the streets and offer hope to children,” she said.
And Kabwata member of Parliament Given Lubinda applauded the efforts of FOH and further thanked them for choosing his constituency to build such a facility.
Mr Lubinda noted that the burden of street children is for everyone and society should endeavour to help and not leave it to Government alone.
He has also appealed to Government to include the building of recreational facilities in the 2015 national budget.
“Lack of recreational facilities has contributed to streetism among children and those who have once been there are prompted to go back because they have nothing to keep them busy. Therefore I am appealing to our Minister of Gender, Ms Wina, to consider refurbishing our already-existing play park here in Kabwata Constituency,” Mr Lubinda urged.
Additionally, Save the Children director programme operations Chilobe Kambikambi observed that a child in Zambia is fraught with hard realities.
Ms Kambikambi said the One Stop Drop-in Centre will achieve immediate and lasting change in the lives of the children.
She said, “Save the Children is very proud to support and be part of this launch of the One Stop Drop-in centre here at the FOH.”
Children comprise more than 51 percent of Zambia’s population and these young citizens need protection from the risks that threaten their rights and well-being.
Sadly, Zambia is ranked 36th out of 52 in the index ranking of child protection in the African report on children’s well-being developed by the African Child Policy forum.
Therefore, building partnerships is one of the pillars that will address this picture Zambia is currently mirrored on.