‘A little for a woman can go a long way’

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 09:59:28 +0000

By Mailesi Banda

THERE is a better chance of reducing poverty in rural areas by empowering women with business capital as there are many women-led families that are striving to succeed, says Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya

The minister, who is Mansa Central Member of Parliament, said it was unfortunate to note that some families were surviving on businesses that had a capital as low as K50.

Speaking when he toured the Mansa main market and empowered the business women with capital, he said it was Government’s priority to support women as part of sustainable development.

“It is sad to note that most of the women in this market have a business capital of less that K100 and it is the source of the livelihoods of many people in these homes, hence if you give a woman a K200 or more they will capitalize on it and improve their livelihoods,“ he said.

He challenged the women trading in the streets of Mansa to relocate to designated trading areas and avoid littering the streets.

He pledged to upgrade the Mansa main market to provide a conducive environment for the traders to operate in.

“We have embarked on a project of rehabilitating the markets in Mansa Central constituency. We want to create an environment that is conducive and attract those trading in the streets to the market,“ he said.

And one of the traders Mable Mwandu thanked the minister for the gesture.

Mrs. Mwandu, a widow and a mother of five, said she is the bread winner of the family and had been trading at the market for the past 48 years.

She said she had managed to raise her four children from the money she makes at the market.