Presidential fund empowers church
THE Presidential Empowerment Initiative Funds (PEIF) has disbursed K20, 000 to the New Apostolic Church in Mpika to help women boost their various businesses.
PEIF patron, Chanda Kabwe presented the cash on Sunday with the assurance that Mr Lungu was determined to see the improvement of the lives of poor people especially women and youths.
The Muwelu congregation in Chiundoponde is the second church to receive soft loans from President Edgar Lungu’s initiative after another K20, 000 was given out to United Church of Zambia All Saints Congregation in Kabwe last week.
The New Apostolic Church is about 200 kilometres west of Mpika in the Kanchibiya constituency and has more than 30 sub-congregations dotted around it.
Due to poor road network, the area is almost impassable especially during the rain season and it takes more than five hours drive from town. Mr Kabwe however, said he would discuss the matter with line ministries to see how the stretch can be improved.
Mr Kabwe said the PEIF had decided to extend the distribution of cash to churches after realising that there were many women in congregations that needed to be empowered.
“The President has that there are many challenges that women in markets were going through because his mother was a marketeer; he knows how traders struggle to find money to take their children to school.
“But after he has also realised that even in churches there are many women that are struggling, so this money is seed not to buy t-bone, it’s a cash that should revolve in the church,” he said.
Apart from the K20, 000 cash, the President has also boght some iron sheets and 50 bags of cement to help the congregation complete the church building that has stalled due to lack of funds.
In a vote of thanks church building comittee chairperson Abraham Chulu said the disbursement of cash to the congregation confirmed President Lungu’s desire to lead a prosperous nation built on Christian values.
He said the church had struggled to find money for 170 iron sheets as well as cement to complete the building that has been stagnant for a long time now.
“We are really grateful to the President; if you look at our area, it’s very far and the road is almost impassable. So if we can be reached to be given money it confirms that the President is able to see the poor people that have been hidden,” Mr Chulu said.