Youth in Aquaculture to Benefit from Up-coming Cooperatives Peer Trainings in Chisamba

By Freeman Mwenge

Government in Chisamba will soon start training youth cooperatives venturing in aquaculture to enhance their productivity.

Chisamba District Commissioner Joel Mboyoma has revealed that his office is in the process of identifying target youth cooperatives for the trainings.

Mr. Mboyoma told NAIS during a monitoring visit and demo fish harvest organized by Multipurpose Cooperative Youth Agents for Change (YAC) that it was important for youth cooperatives to learn from each hence the need to organize the trainings.

Mr. Mboyoma also called on youth cooperatives in the District to take advantage of available Government support for activities such as fish farming under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

“Very soon will be doing a training programme where we will request cooperatives not only those that are near here but throughout the District those who are willing will be brought here,” Mr. Mboyoma said.

Apart from using experts from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock the trainings would use a form of a peer trainings approach where youth groups who had success stories would share their knowledge with other up-coming young fish farmers within the District.

We wish to throw a challenge to cooperatives, to clubs that are not doing anything for now to actually emulate the Youth Agents for Change and start doing something. Also by so doing they will be attracting Government support. Let them come forward come to Government offices to find out what support they can get,” He said.  

Mr. Mboyoma has appealed to youth within the District to take an interest in resources Government was making available for youth empowerment under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

He said there were grants and loans from Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and other forms of support that were aimed at benefiting various youth organizations willing to venture into fish farming.

“The Youth Department has also got funding that goes directly to youth clubs, to youth cooperatives. We also have the gender division under cabinet office which has come through to support women clubs,” Mr. Mboyoma said.  

At the same event Central Province Youth Development Coordinator Kennedy Pezo revealed that the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts was supporting youth cooperatives with skills development and funding in order to improve their social and economic wellbeing.

Mr. Pezo called on youth cooperatives in agriculture to learn from each in order to improve their wellbeing.

“If our youth would change their mindset and look at farming as an income generating venture and a game changer in terms of supporting their livelihoods I think we are not only going to produce for our food security but also for export,” Mr. Pezo said.

He said Agriculture held the best opportunities for the youth to generate income that would transform their livelihoods.

And Muswishi Area  Councilor Ignatius Hangombe where the demo fish harvest was taking place said training was an important component for the success of youth cooperatives in agriculture.

“We want other youths within the ward to possibly come and learn that when you are given empowerment funds you need to put it to good use,” Mr. Hangombe said.

Youth Agent for Change received over K700, 000 from the Government as support towards infrastructure development at their farm in Chisamba. The organization sold over20 kilo grams of fish on the spot with more left to be harvested.

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