State hails TVTC expansion initiatives

By NATION REPORTER GOVERNMENT has hailed the Technical and Vocational Teacher’s College (TVTC) in Luanshya for using initiative to raise funds to construct a multi-purpose hall.

Higher Education Permanent Secretary Mabvuto Sakala said it was good to see that the college was using everything at its disposal to stir up development at the institution.

He was speaking during a ground breaking ceremony at the institution.

Mr Sakala said the funds were sourced through various fund raising ventures, in which all TVTC alumni, students, staff and well-wishers generously contributed.

“I am also reliably informed that the process of raising funds is ongoing with the college selling branded chitenges as one of the initiatives. This initiative is timely as it has been undertaken when the college is increasing enrolment levels and expanding course portfolio,” he said.

He noted that the college had never undergone any classroom expansions since 1975, thus putting pressure on the existing infrastructure such as classroom space. Mr Sakala said once the hall was constructed, it would ease the problem of congestion and inconvenience especially in times of large gatherings such as examinations, public meetings as well as other academic programmes.

He declared that the Ministry of Higher Education would continue supporting TVTC as it had seen that the institution had a lot of potential and initiatives.

Meanwhile, TVTC Board Chairperson Professor Roy Chileshe said the construction of the multi- purpose hall had been on the drawing board for the last five years.

“The college had other competing needs over the years and this led to the delay in constructing the Hall until an initiative called Buy a Brick was mooted and launched in Ndola early this year. The objective of this initiative is to raise funds to the tune of K4 million exclusively for the construction of the multi-purpose hall, the first of its kind,” Prof Chileshe said.

He said the time had come for the hall to be built at the estimated cost of K3 million.

Prof Chileshe said for some time, the college had rented premises at Masaiti Boarding school, Luanshya Boys Secondary, and even Lukashya and Kabwe Trades Training colleges.

Prof Chileshe noted that with the multi-purpose hall completed, it would comfortably sit up to 600 people.