Students gain skills to help them set up their own businesses

As a volunteer working with young people in Lusaka’s local communities, Lucas Phiri admits facing many daunting challenges in his day-to-day work.

“A number of youth I worked with come from different cultures and backgrounds, so I had to be sensitive when speaking with them about often difficult topics. Contraception or family quarrels were some of the subjects I would discuss, which people obviously reacted differently to.

“It was extremely important for me not to appear forceful or pressurising when speaking about these delicate issues.”

The challenges Mr Phiri, now 28, faced when working with these young people in Zambia’s capital prompted him to apply for the Commonwealth Diploma in Youth Development.

As well as providing youth workers like him with the knowledge on which to base their work with young people, this distance learning course also provides general business management skills which can help them set up their own companies. Past diploma students have gone on to set up poultry farms, retail businesses and gardening companies.

It is not only youth and community workers who are attracted to the course. Recent school leavers, police officers and government and NGO employees are also among the 50 students in Zambia who have passed the Commonwealth Youth Diploma since it was established in 2000 as well as the 30 students currently enrolled for the course.

These students go on to use the skills they have developed to propel them further in their current jobs or help them kick-start their careers working with young people.

“When they have completed this programme it gives them a good grounding and equips them with the knowledge to work effectively with young people,” says Moderate Momba, Co-ordinator for the Commonwealth Diploma which is run out of the Zambia Insurance Business College Trust (ZIBCT).

“When they start out many people are unaware of what is involved in working in a community with young people. This course opens them up to the challenges they will face in their future careers.”

At least two students have gone on to study degrees at the University of South Africa and the University of Huddersfield respectively which they would not have qualified for without obtaining the required knowledge through the Youth Diploma.

Secretariat Links:

• Youth
• Country Profile: Zambia