ZAMBIA NGO WASH FORUM PARTICIPATES IN STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT MEETING FOR A EUROPEAN UNION FUNDED PROJECT

Lusaka, Zambia – The Zambia NGO WASH Forum today took part in a Stakeholders Engagement meeting held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka. 

The event was organized by People in Need (PIN) and the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR), who are implementing the LEAD CSO project funded by the European Union.

The LEAD CSOs Project aims to strengthen women, youth, and marginalized community-led Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Zambia. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance inclusive governance and democracy in Zambia by empowering CSOs to be resilient and effective.

The project will analyze how the 8th National Development Plan (NDP) can accelerate development and improve public service delivery. Challenges highlighted during the meeting included the lack of necessary resources and platforms for youth, women, and marginalized communities to make their voices heard. It was emphasized that strong and resilient CSOs are crucial for achieving inclusive governance in Zambia.

The Zambia NGO WASH Forum’s participation aligns with its goals of enhancing public service delivery and inclusive governance. The Forum is also working with SNV to implement the Water Voices United project, co-funded by the European Union and the Danish People’s Aid.

Ms. Natasha Museba from the Ministry of Justice highlighted the need for CSOs to realize their full potential to represent marginalized groups and praised the European Union for its support.

Dennis Mtonga, the Project Manager of the LEAD CSOs Project, explained that the project is a 36-month initiative (June 2024 to 2027) with a budget of Two Million Euros, covering five provinces: Luapula, North-Western, Western, Southern, and Lusaka. The goal is to ensure CSOs are resilient and capable of demanding transparency and accountability in government.

The project will advertise on Monday to select 30 CSOs and 10 CSO networks for capacity building, focusing on established or formalized CSOs with no history of fraud and non-partisan affiliations.