Maravi

Muyoyeta calls for empowerment of the poor

Muyoyeta calls for empowerment of the poor
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sunday October 07, 2007 [04:00]

FORMER NGOCC board chairperson Lucy Muyoyeta has said long-term development can only take place if the poorest and marginalised members of society are empowered. And Women for Change (WfC) first board chairperson Ethel Njiri said the majority of Zambians in rural areas continued to face extreme poverty. During WfC 15th anniversary celebrations on Friday under the theme 'Our strength, our struggle, our development', Muyoyeta said Africa was at a crossroads where it still faced a number of major and unprecedented challenges such as extremely high levels of poverty, the breakdown and disintegration of the education and health systems, the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, weak governance systems, the continued discrimination of women at all levels and in some cases armed conflicts and the devastation it caused.

Muyoyeta said long-term sustainable development required a new mission for NGOs that was not handout oriented but a radical one that challenged the economic, political and social status quo.

Muyoyeta said the kind of sustainable development demanded that people became involved in decisions affecting their future.

She said it was necessary for NGOs to ensure women received more support in their struggle for equality and a social status more in tune with their responsibilities in society and within the family.

Muyoyeta said NGOs must work to contribute to the elimination of the structural causes of poverty, realisation of human rights, protection of the environment and achieve sustainable patterns of development.

She said NGOs had a major role to play in counter balancing or checking on the power of the state, thus ensuring durable peace and a partnership between people and governments.
Muyoyeta said NGOs should work with the grassroots in order to ensure popular participation.

"They should demand the right to participate in political and other decisions on the future of Africa because sustainable development is a political issue resulting from a set of collective decisions governing the life of each and everyone," she said.

And Njiri said WfC knew as an NGO, they did not own or lead the development process but rather, rural women and men were the experts on their own issues and leaders in their own community's development.

"Many rural areas still do not have access to basic services like water, clinics and schools. The political marginalisation of rural Zambians can no longer be ignored. More than ever before, rural women and men are beginning to call for respect for their rights and for accountability from their elected leaders," she said.

Njiri said for 15 years, WfC had worked tirelessly to empower rural women and men to work together for their own development under very difficult circumstances.

WfC board chairperson Elizabeth Simonda said they would continue the fight against poverty, injustices, corruption, human rights abuses and underdevelopment.

Labels: LUCY MUYOYETA, NGOCC, POVERTY, WFC

posted by MrK @ 6:50 AM