Inshindo Welcomes New District Community Development Officer

Last Updated on Saturday, 19 December 2009 11:01 Written by Webmaster Friday, 18 December 2009 21:10

The Department of Community Development in Kabwe has a new District Community Development Officer (DCDO). Mrs. Muyenga replaces Mrs. Judith Mbewe who has been acting as the DCDO for the last few months. On Monday 30 November 2009 Mrs. Muyenga was invited to visit the Inshindo Office in order for her to be briefed on the development of the PSA groups in the Kabwe Unit. The meeting was attended by 4 Inshindo staff including Kawawa Chitiya, Administrator, Chikonde Mwansa, Field Coordinator & Agronomist, James Mutale, Unit Coordinator, Kabwe and Chuungu Malitonga, National Program Coordinator. Also present at the meeting was Chanda Kalombo, a University of Zambia student serving with Inshindo for a month.

During the meeting Mrs. Muyenga was briefed on a number of issues related to the PSA program. Some time was spent going over elements of the PSA conceptual framework, the history of the program and the current status of the activities in Kabwe District. She was also briefed on the status of the community service projects carried out by the PSA groups and the tutors including the recent research conducted by tutors on solid waste management in Nakoli Compound of Kabwe.

Mrs. Muyenga expressed her sincere appreciation of the PSA program and her commitment to strengthening the relationship between Inshindo and the Department of Community Development. She stressed the need to link the PSA students to activities in the department that are related to what they are studying. Such activities include the Food Security Pack through which vulnerable household receive loans of farming inputs from the government. She felt that the agricultural components of the program can help such households receive more support. She also expressed appreciation of the research component of the program and felt that the students could help carryout research on the approaches and technologies used by households participating in the Food Security Pack Program.

Mrs. Muyenga brings many years of experience to the partnership among Inshindo, Kabwe Municipal Council and the Department of Community Development. She has worked in the department for 31 years and served for many years in the Northwestern Province and is quite familiar with Mwinilunga, the other area where Inshindo is implementing the PSA program. She has also served as a facilitator of training programs with UN agencies such as WWF and UNDP. She is professionally a social worker with a degree in Development Studies. She works part time as a lecturer with the University of Zambia in Social Work Law and Social Work Research.