Nalucha Mubita just decided to take ownership of her destiny. She struggled to find employment after high school and eventually became addicted to drink, spending days at a time at local bars. “I used to go to bars (often) to drink beer with my friends, but I was suffering,” she says.
This was before she met Samuel, a young person in Sioma who is part of a group of people who volunteer their time and skills to teach people about alternative livelihoods and climate change adaptation throughout Sioma.
After Nakamwi Mukubesa, the group’s founder, saw performances by the Kandodo Memorial Youth Group, based in Lusaka, the Kandodo Sioma Youth Group was founded. He approached Gift Mimbula, the group’s founder, about establishing a branch of the organization in Sioma, having been inspired by their mother group’s efforts to empower youngsters and educate them about climate change. In response to Nakamwi’s enthusiasm, Gift was gracious enough to help the group by registering them in Sioma, training their performers, and supporting them as they submitted for a grant from the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grant Program. With the award, the group has been touring the Western Province and some of the most isolated regions of Sioma to provide entertainment and education. In addition, they have started a training programme that provides skills to talented and eager young people looking for a means to build a livelihood.
Find out more about the group’s plans to use a U$D20,000 grant under the UNDP-implemented GEF-SGP in Zambia to carry out training programs and educational tours that target adolescents in Western Province. The initiative is anticipated to begin in September 2023 and last for 12 months. Its objective is to serve 600 young people, 60 people with impairments, and 360 women in the province.