Empower Youth With Jobs to Meet Their Basic Needs, Says JCTR

Zambia’s policy framework in response to the challenges of youth development is embedded in a number of polices and strategies. These policies and plans are products of changes in time and context of the situation of the youth in trying to effectively engage them in national development. The youth need empowerment through jobs especially by developing and promoting their entrepreneurial skills as this will allow them to become employers and consequently play an active role in realizing the national agenda for job creation. The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection conducted the Basic Needs Basket (BNB) Analysis on February in Lusaka which showed the cost of living at K 2, 996,120 with food taking up approximately 30% of the basket at a cost of K 871, 520. Therefore the proposed national youth employment strategy should respond to practically enabling youth especially the poor to meet their basic needs.