• Beneficiaries include women clubs, youths and other groupings.
• 50, 000 beneficiaries from 90 districts have so been empowered.
• 20, 00 beneficiaries are expected to be empowered this year alone.

The Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund (PEIF) says it has disbursed K16.5 million since the program started in 2015.
Fund Acting National Coordinator Samuel Luneta told Money FM News in an interview that part of the disbursed funds has been spent on technical capacity, trainings for the beneficiaries, acquiring of equipment that is given to beneficiaries for them to start generating income.
Mr. Luneta further disclosed that 50, 000 people from 90 districts have been empowered since 2015, adding that the Fund is targeting to empower 20, 000 beneficiaries this year out of which 80 percent are women.
“This year alone we want to empower 20, 00 beneficiaries and from that 20, 000 beneficiaries 80 percent are women. From the time we started in 2015 to date, we have empowered over 50, 000 beneficiaries from 90 districts.”
“From the time we started, we have disbursed over K16.5 million. From that same amount is where we have spent on technical capacity, capacity building, trainings for the beneficiaries, acquiring of equipment that generate income that we give them to start generating this income,” Mr. Luneta said.
He however said only 8 provinces have been covered and the remaining two will be covered by the end of the year but not all the districts.
“This doesn’t mean that we have conclusively tackled all the provinces. We have only done 8 provinces and 2 provinces are remaining. By the end of this year we should be able to reach out to all the provinces but not all the districts.”
The Presidential Empowerment Initiative Fund (PEIF) was established in 2015 by President Edgar Lungu, to create a platform of exposure and subsequent empowerment for the vulnerable, under privileged and yet viable in society.