‘BOOST MORINGA GROWING’

KALOMO residents have been urged to embrace initiatives such as boosting Moringa growing aimed at improving their welfare than depending on Government for handouts.

District Commissioner, Cosmas Chiiba, said it was important for residents including farmers to be innovative, even in the face of adverse conditions.

Mr Chiiba said this during the launch of a Moringa pilot project in the district under the Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Kafue basin (SCRIKA) meant to empower women and youths in income generating activities.

The project aims at producing finished products such as herbal soap, toothpaste, medicinal capsules and stock feed extracted from Moringa trees.

And Moringa Value Addition Project Chairperson, Gertrude Mampwe, urged local people to embrace the concept of locally produced products.

Dr Mampwe said the project’s objective was to empower rural women and youths to make finished products from local resources which they can sell to raise money for their livelihoods.

She stated that after training of the targeted participants in three wards of Kalomo, the project was expected to swing into full production of various finished products in the next three months.

The project was currently piloted in Bbilili, Naluja and Omba wards of Kalomo where several women and youth clubs have already been formed to undergo an extensive training in the income generating venture.

The project which is under the auspices of the Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Kafue basin (SCRIKA) was launched at Nsalali Primary School in

Bbilili ward of Kalomo and is also expected to be rolled out to Choma, Namwala and Mazabuka districts. - ZANIS