Evangelical churches to promote youths, women

Ntchisi Evangelical Churches Consortium for Social Services (Neccoss) has said it will promote the youth and women in the district by empowering them to be independent.

The remarks were made last Friday in traditional authorities (T/As) Chilooko and Kalumo during a field visit organised by Neccoss for stakeholders to appreciate projects the organisation is implementing.

Neccoss executive director Mathias Chindungwa said the organisation is implementing a Youth and Women Empowerment Programme in the two T/As after noticing  that women and youths lacked business and entrepreneurial skills and capital to start small-scale businesses.

“Therefore, we are providing soft loans to the youth and women’s  groups to start small-scale businesses to promote village savings and loans  and support vocational and business management skills,” he said.

Ntchisi district youth officer Grey Kalampa commended Neccoss for uplifting youth and women’s lives in the district.

“The programme is complementing government’s efforts of creating business skills among youths and women.  Government alone cannot support everyone so it depends also on non-governmental organisations,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Patrick Maxwell from Chalenda Youth Club in T/A Chilooko, said he received K100 000 which he used as capital to expand his business.

“With this amount, I am now running two different businesses from my previous barber’s shop business,” he said.

The Youth and Women Economic Empowerment programme is funded by EivindLilleaasen based in Norway and is targeting youths aged between 18 and 35.