Maravi

Youths are not being taught to earn a living - Chikalipa
By Oswald Sichone in Kafue
Tue 30 July 2013, 14:00 CAT

UNITED Church of Zambia's Resurrection congregation minister in-charge Reverend Mwimba Chikalipa says many youths fail to live independent lives after school because they are taught that they are being educated in order to get employed and not to earn a living.

Delivering his sermon on Sunday, Rev Chikalipa said teachers were to blame for teaching pupils that they go to school in order to get employed.

"We do not go to school in order to get employed but to make life easier. Most of the youths nowadays are languishing in poverty because they think that getting employed is the only thing that can change their lives. This is so because they are taught at school that they are being educated in order to get employed and when they are not employed they turn into destitutes. School is only there to make our lives easier and whether you get employed or not life should continue. As stewards of God's creation, we must utilitise what God has given us; we have abundant land and water which youths can use to sustain their lives. Education will never make us become what God wants us to be," he said.

Rev Chikalipa said God had imparted gifts in human beings which if well used could help many jobless youths sustain their lives.

Meanwhile, a local social justice activist has disclosed that he would next month embark on a 460 kilometre walk from Livingstone to Lusaka to raise awareness on the plight of children born in prisons.

Juma Chipeta said the walk to be undertaken in the second week of August would among other things raise awareness on the plight of children being subjected to prison conditions because their mothers are incarcerated.

Chipeta said his walk was also aimed at lobbying the government to come up with strategies aimed at addressing "modern day slavery" as most children with blind parents spent most of their time escorting their parents as they go begging in the streets instead of being in school.

"Modern day slavery is becoming rampant in Zambia and I hope to use my walk to raise awareness on issues regarding the plight of children who are born when their parents are still serving sentences. Prisoners in most prisons are locked up from 16:00 hours to 08:00 the following morning and when their child who is innocent gets sick, he/she has to wait for the next day to be attended to.. this makes them to go through the same harsh condition of our prisons because currently our prisons do not have places for prisoners with small children."

He said he intends to end his walk with a press briefing where he would present a petition to the government on the plight of children.

Labels: MWIMBA CHIKALIPA

posted by MrK @ 4:11 PM