• The Local Authority still has a budgeted allocation of K1.5 Million for school bursaries and tertiary education.
• Residents in the area must take advantage of President Hakainde Hichilema’s gesture of goodwill under the expanded CDF program.
• There is need for youths to make use of such a rare opportunity and gain skills
Chipangali District Town Council has disclosed that its K1.5 million budget allocation for school bursaries and tertiary education under Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has not yet been utilized due to lack of applicants.
Council Chairperson Maxson Nkhoma urged residents in the area to take advantage of President Hakainde Hichilema’s gesture of goodwill under the expanded CDF program to further their education using the available school bursary for tertiary and boarding secondary schools.
Mr. Nkhoma said there is need for youths to make use of such a rare opportunity and gain skills which will earn them income once they graduate from skills development schools.
“While the Local Authority did all it could in awareness and advertising, I am at pain and seriously concerned that in the first term of 2022, only about 20% of the pupils were sponsored to various secondary schools and a small number of only 145 students were sponsored to do various developmental skills training in various institutions which still represents a low turnout, when weighed against the available budgetary allocation for school bursaries,” Mr. Nkhoma said.
He further called on residents to get bursaries and tertiary CDF application forms from the Ward Development Committees in their respective wards without paying any fees.
“We encourage our youths to make use of such a rare opportunity and gain skills which will earn them income once they graduate from skills development schools,” he added.
Mr. Nkhoma also urged all Councilors and Ward Development Committees to help in raising awareness at community level through sensitization programs on CDF bursaries including other community projects going on at their Council.
