Govt hails WFP
ZANIS-Government has praised the United Nations World Food Programme -WFP- for its partnership in enhancing food security through various interventions such as drought recovery programmes in Southern Province.
Southern Province Permanent Secretary, NAMANI MOONZE made the observation when he met the WFP Regional Director MENGHESTAB HAILE, who was accompanied by WFP Country Director CISSY BYENKYA in Monze.
Dr. MOONZE said the other intervention is the home grown school feeding programme in diverse schools that has encouraged learners is pursuing their education.
He named the projects done together with government and the WFP as drought recovery programme in response to adverse climatic conditions experienced in the province.
Others are strengthening of resilience, scaling up nutrition, and supporting the home grown school feeding programme that is working very well with the government position on free education.
And WFP Regional Director MENGHESTAB HAILE, who is based in Johannesburg, South Africa said the Southern Africa Development Community has two main issues that need to be addressed.
Mr. HAILE named the first issue as the food system of the region -SADC- based on rain-fed growing of crops that is not sustainable.
He explained that the second issue that needs to be addressed is that the youths are not employed even when they have been sent to University and when they don’t get employment they don’t want to work in agriculture.
Mr. HAILE stressed that Zambia has a committed government and is there willing to continue partnering with government to engage the youths in various interventions in the agriculture sector.
The Regional Director underscored the fact that if the priorities of government are going to be addressed the government must be committed and together with the WFP a difference will be made.
Meanwhile, the WFP Country Director for Zambia CISSY BYENKYA said the WFP is working in closer partnership with government and receiving support from the new dawn administration.
Ms. BYENKYA expressed her gratitude to government and other stakeholders for the collaboration existing with the WFP.
She noted that climate change is with us and only hoped that this year things won’t be as bad to result in losing gains registered in the past.
The Country Director observed that there is no reason why there should be food insecurity in the country as it is endowed with land, the people that are ready to support especially under the new dawn government to ensure the country is food secure and all f
rms of malnutrition are abated.
Ms. BYENKYA further said Zambia should not only feed herself but also not only export to other countries in the region but to the continent at large.
The various interventions in the agriculture and education sectors in Monze and Gwembe districts funded by the WFP are implemented by the Development Aid from People to People, Self Help Africa and the ministry of agriculture.