CEJ PROVIDES RESILIENT LIVELIHOOD SUPPORT

The Centre for Environment Justice (CEJ) says it is committed to providing resilient livelihood support to about 1, 200 households in Sinazongwe, and Serenje respectively to prepare communities for and cope with crisises.

The CEJ says its aim is to reach 1, 200 households in the two districts in providing community support interventions aimed at strengthening the capacity and resilience of communities to prepare for and cope with crises. In Sinazongwe alone, CEJ has targeted 600 households to benefit from the community resilient livelihood support and Government has since commended the NGO for awarding each community group K10, 000 in Sinazongwe. Sinazongwe District Commissioner Nchimunya Siakole says Government was also happy to note that CEJ had given out bicycles and phones for Community Social Auditors to promote transparency and accountability in Zambia's coal belt.

He said this in a speech read by Sinazongwe Acting District Commissioner Joshua Njolomba, during the CEJ community livelihood support handover ceremony of revolving funds at Sinazeze in Sinazongwe. "I am delighted to note that the communities have shown great commitment by starting their savings, with some groups saving more than K19, 000 in just three months. This is a remarkable achievement, and it speaks to the hard work and dedication of the members of these groups. The funds being given today will go a long way in empowering women and increasing household income.”

And CEJ executive director Maggie Mwape said the community livelihood Support programme under the Resilient Initiative for Sustainable Environment (RISE) project with support from the Bread for the World was complementing government efforts in alleviating challenges facing mining communities. Ms Mwape said the RISE Project was a follow-on from the Mining Community Voices and Alternative Livelihoods, Planning and Preparedness Project, whose aim was to improve environmental sustainability and sustained livelihoods of mining communities of Sinazongwe District.

"The livelihood support component of the RISE project is key to achieving this goal, and CEJ has been working hard to ensure that the community is not only trained and capacitated but also supported with zero-interest seed funds, which will operate as Community Revolving Funds to support community groups.