By Francis Chipalo
An International Humanitarian Organization based in the Netherlands has donated an assortment of equipment to 14 local Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Zambia as part of broader and collective efforts to alleviate poverty.
TOOLS4CHANGE has donated; Sewing Machines, Computers, Plumbing tools, Desks, Brick laying tools, Bicycles and Carpentry tools among others worth millions of kwacha.
The equipment has been received in Ndola by representatives from organizations that will benefit from the humanitarian Initiative.
Alejo Community Project, a Mufulira based NGO and the Prisons fellowship Zambia are among the recipients of the empowerment initiatives.
And in receiving the consignment, Alejo Community Project Executive Director Alex Mutale noted that the equipment will be donated to individuals and cooperatives so as to empower locals engage in entrepreneurship activities.
“We are greatful for this gesture as these equipments will be donated to our various groups based in different parts of the country so that they become self reliant as they will venture into various entrepreneurship activities. This is one way of the surest way of fighting and combatting poverty levels in communities,” he said
Mutale explained that his project has been working with TOOLS4CHANGE for a long time to transform the lives of the underprivileged in society and mainly those with skills.
“As Alejo, we remain committed to supporting government in resolving the many challenges that the poor face in society and in strides made in poverty alleviation,” said Mutale.
Meanwhile, Mutale has disclosed that TOOLS4CHANGE will soon send experts to Zambia to come and train locals on life survival skills and how to use part of the donated equipment as they look at transforming and changing their lives.
“We have a number of vulnerable but vibrant people in this country who want to venture into entrepreneurship but lack resources and necessary finances. Therefore, we are optimistic that with this training that the locals will receive, they will contribute meaningful to Zambia’s development agenda,”He added.
He explained that Alejo Community Project which mainly renders support to locals in the field of Health and Agriculture has continued to empower locals communities under its village chicken empowerment initiative where over five thousand communities countrywide have been empowered.
“Over the last five years, we have donated village chickens to five thousand groupings and through this initiative, we have reached out and empowered over twenty thousand Zambians. The village chicken project has drastically changed the lives of many and reduced household poverty,” he added.
