Lusaka

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

6th July 2017

NGOCC congratulates Queens Young Leaders awardees Natasha Kaoma

THE Non Governmental Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) wishes to congratulate the Queens Young Leaders awardees Natasha Salifyanji Kaoma for winning the award and making a difference in the lives of underprivileged adolescent girls by providing them with free sanitary towels.

As an organization we are proud of Ms. Kaoma’s talents and achievements which she has used to better the lives of many young people like herself in sexual reproductive health rights education with emphasis on menstrual hygiene.

Realizing the challenges that many young people face in accessing sanitary towels, the innovation by Ms. Kaoma to manufacture recyclable sanitary towels is not only cost effective and environmentally friendly but also offers an opportunity for employment and wealth creation for young people.

We call upon government and the private sector to support such initiates so as to provide affordable sanitary towels for the underprivileged women and girls. We further call on government to support the work of Ms. Kaoma and her organization Copper Rose Foundation to mass produce recyclable sanitary towels for distribution in schools in rural areas as per the 2016 national budget pronouncements.

We further urge the Zambia government to emulate the Kenyan government by putting in place legislation to support the provision of free sufficient and quality sanitary towels to school going girls especially in rural areas.

for/NGOCC

Sara H. Longwe
CHAIRPERSON ... See more

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
6th July 2017

NGOCC URGES GOVERNMENT TO HELP MARKETEERS
AFFECTED BY THE LUSAKA MARKET FIRES

THE Non Governmental Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) commiserates with the traders at Lusaka’s City Market and Misisi Market who had their merchandise destroyed by an inferno in the early hours of Tuesday, July 4th 2017.

As an organization, we are deeply saddened about the unfortunate incident as most of the affected are women who are struggling to earn a living under the harsh economic situation. To begin with, we urge the Zambia Police and other investigative agencies to thoroughly investigate the cause of the fire and bring the culprits to book.

NGOCC would also like to appeal to the Government and the private sector to immediately help the marketers who lost their merchandise. While Government is trying to find a solution to help in compensating the victims, given the realities of the limited resources, Government could immediately work with the private sector financiers like banks to guarantee some short term cost-effective loans for the traders. It is critical that the traders, especially that most of them are women, be helped as they depend on the trading in the market for their livelihoods.

As a lasting solution is being sought to address these infernos, we urge our leaders to remain focused and avoid making statements that have the potential to jeopardize investigations and the general peace amongst the population. At this critical moment, it is important for all Zambians to be responsible in the face of the unfortunate incidences, to avoid fueling an already tense political situation. It should be noted that, any breakdown in peace, will adversely affect the most vulnerable, who are women and children.

ISSUED;
for/NGOCC

Sara H. Longwe
CHAIRPERSON ... See more