KOZO GIRLS’ PROJECT RECEIVES SEWING MACHINES

By NATION REPORTER IN 2013 81 percent of school girls missed the entire duration of school due to their monthly periods, says Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) National president Lucy Lungu

Speaking on when YWCA received a donation of four sewing machines and assorted fabrics worth K30, 000, from National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) aimed at empowering girls and women under the KOZO girl’s project, Ms Lungu said as YWCA they were proud that NAPSA had supported an area that had long been ignored in ensuring that the girl child favorably competes in attaining equitable access to education.

“Additionally this support will also assist to improve household income and food security of the Kimasala women’s group in Solwezi who are earmarked to receive part of this donation,” Ms Lungu said.

Ms Lungu said according to a pilot study that was conducted by the World Bank in 2013 in rural parts of Eastern, Luapula, Northern, and Central Provinces, it was estimated that girls missed school up to 36 days per year adding that the majority of them missed school for the entire duration of their monthly periods.

And NAPSA Director General, Yollard Kachinda said the gesture was made in a way of commemorating this year’s International Women’s Day which was observed under the theme “Time is now: Rural and Urban Active Transformation Women’s Lives.” As part of NAPSA’s Corporate Social Responsibility.

“The ultimate goal is to ensure that through this project we promote menstrual hygiene among school going girls in rural areas so that no girl child stays out of school because of lack of sanitary towels.

“It is for this reason that NAPSA decided to donate four sewing machines and assorted fabrics to enable the group upscale production of the sanitary towels,” Mr Kachinda said.

Mr Kachinda said as NAPSA they had engaged some business partners to come on board and buy off the towels to be produced and donate to the girls in the rural areas.

He e[pressed confident that this partnership will help to build more capacity in KOZO girls by providing them with a ready market.