Maravi

UN calls for investment in rural areas

UN calls for investment in rural areas
By Moses Kuwema in Mongu
Wed 21 Apr. 2010, 03:50 CAT

UNITED Nations Resident Coordinator McLeod Nyirongo has said there is need for the government to find ways of investing in the rural areas where most poor people live. Speaking on Oblate Radio Liseli on Sunday, Nyirongo said this was important because development had to have meaning with the local people.

“There is need to find means of how resources in Western Province can be used, government has to find ways of investing in areas where poor people live,” he said. Nyirongo said natural resources in Western Province were not being used to the optimum level, hence the province’s lack in development.

Nyirongo said no country had developed by abandoning its culture.

“The mistake we make as Africans is that of moving to Western culture. But instead of doing that, we need to modernise our culture,” he said.

Nyirongo cited the logging industry as one which was doing well in Western Province, but that unfortunately the local people were not benefiting.

He said people could earn a lot on trees, adding that there was need to move from beliefs to substantive research.

Nyirongo said a lot of attention to the exploitation of natural resources was needed.
“Government should also make the policy clear if they have allowed people to live in game reserve areas so that they can educate them on the need to balance the ecosystem…the UN was already working on this with the Ministry of Tourism,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nyirongo has said that he was impressed with the levels of commitment by people working on HIV and AIDS-related programmes in the province.

Nyirongo however said there was a huge gap between those responsible for service delivery and the people on the ground.

“Those people were craving for simple things like bicycles, its not a question of money but priorities, for instance lifestyle facilities like vehicles and talk time for bosses…government can suspend all these and say we want every health centre to have a CD 4 count,” he said.

And Nyirongo has revealed that Zambia had one of the highest malnutrition rate which stood at 40 per cent.

He said this was a sign of hunger and that children who were born then would have problems in their childhood.

“The priority should be to produce the right type of food and eat the right food and this required information at households…I don’t see things getting better if we don’t deal with malnutrition,” said Nyirongo.

Labels: MCLEOD NYIRONGO, RURAL AREAS

posted by MrK @ 3:34 PM