Irish Aid ends operations in Northern Province

LUWINGU - Government is saddened with the closure of Irish Aid offices in Northern Province.

Northern Province Permanent Secretary Jobbicks Kalumba said the closing of offices by Irish Aid has come at a time when farmers are struggling to access farming inputs through e-voucher system.

Dr. Kalumba explained that Irish Aid has improved the living standards of the rural communities through implementing various local development programmes for the past three decades in Northern Province.

He said Irish Aid also bettered people’s lives through an integrated livelihood intervention programme.

“This is the end of the programme review meeting to appraise the performance for the period 2013 to 2017 in Northern Province. For the past three decades Irish Aid has been implementing various local development programmes in Northern province,” he said.

He said his office will engage the Irish Aid ambassador to reconsider the decision to close offices in the province. Dr. Kalumba observed that there was need to spread the Irish Aid programmes to new districts in the province. He said Irish Aid, through Self-help Africa, has been distributing financial resources aimed at reducing poverty and inequality, especially in rural areas where poverty is a major challenge. “Therefore this integrated livelihood intervention programme addressed crop, diversification and market, health education and nutrition in Luwingu and Mbala,” he added He however said government was grateful with the support received from the government of Ireland.

Meanwhile, Self-help Africa programme coordinator Edward Meleki thanked the community in Mbala and Luwingu for the support rendered to his organisation. Mr. Meleki explained that Self-help Africa helped to purchase radio station equipment and to construct council offices for Luwingu and Mbala districts during its operations in the region.-ZANIS