The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction Zambia (CSPR) Voice and Accountability Project with support from the World Bank has held a four days training of trainers workshop for selected Provincial Program Management Team (PPMT) members from Katete, Mambwe, Sinda and Vubwi districts. The training is from 4th April 2023 to 7th April 2023. The training is aimed at equipping PPMT members and other stakeholders to effectively enhance the capacity of communities in social accountability principles and lobby and advocacy for improved delivery of education services within their districts.
Before the commencement of the Training, The Project Team comprising the Social Accountability Expert Tumaini Hauli-Kalebuka, The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Bob Mweetwa, Richard Holloway the Partnership for Transparency Social Accountability Consultant, Communication Specialist Madube Pasi Siyauya and the Eastern Province Assistant Project Coordinator Lubuto Chibuta paid a courtesy call to the Katete District Commissioner Mr. Malan Zimba.
Mr. Zimba welcomed the team and offered to provide support to the team during the implementation of the project in the district. He highlighted that the project so far has contributed to improved community participation in school governance processes, which complements government effort to ensure no one is left behind in national development. He further advised the CSPR project team to share project reports with his office in order to facilitate synergies in implementing similar projects with other CSO’s within Katete District. Such reports would empower his office with information to ensure that all wards in the district are covered.
The CSPR team also paid a courtesy call on the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) for Katete District, Mrs. Patrine Chilala. Mrs. Chilala expressed gratitude for the well coordinated work and capacity provided by the project to Ministry staff. She emphasized that, with the Decentralization Policy now in place, there is need for more capacity building training for people in the District. Mrs. Chilala has pledged her office’s support to the project. She has requested CSPR to expand to more schools in the District. She further expressed hope that from the lessons that will be learnt in the five project schools currently running, the scope could be expanded to include more schools in Katete as there are 141 schools in the district.
