Cooperating partners hail Govt for rural infrastructure development

A delegation of co-operating partners has commended the Zambian Government for its infrastructure development initiatives in rural parts of the country, especially in the area of education.

The delegation, comprising officials from the German and Chinese embassies in Lusaka, UNHCR, UNICEF and the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees in the Ministry of Home Affairs, visited Kaoma District to meet with Government officials and tour refugee and local integration projects within and around Mayukwayukwa Refugee Settlement, supported by Canada, United States and Japan.

During the hand-over of a 200 KVA generator, donated by the German Embassy, worth US$63,000, installed at the Government’s newly constructed Mayukwayukwa High School, Gudrun Haider, on behalf of the German Embassy, pointed out that infrastructure development was key to fostering economic development in rural areas.

Ms Haider said the initiatives from the Government to develop infrastructure in rural areas is worth praising.

She stated the construction of the school is important because it does not only benefit Zambians, but refugees and former refugees as well.

Ms Haider said the donation of a generator is a gesture of the Federal Republic of Germany to help the Government of Zambia to ensure the school runs smoothly.

During the same visit, the Chinese Embassy donated a cheque worth K10, 000 for the purchase of text books for Mayukwayukwa High School, school that was constructed by a Chinese contractor.

UNHCR Representative, Laura Lo Castro, called on the Government and co-operating partners to provide more support to refugee-hosting areas to enhance peaceful co-existence between the host community, former refugees and refugees, especially in light of the implementation of the local integration program.

Situated on the fringes of Mayukwayukwa Refugee Settlement, Mayukwayukwa High School is the only secondary school in a radius of about 50 kilometres.

Mayukwayukwa High School started to be built by the Government of Zambia in 2008 to alleviate the problem of limited access to secondary education faced by primary learners in the District. It is a boarding school with capacity to accommodate up to 600 pupils.

Lack of electricity though prevented the school from opening its boarding facility.