PEECH BY THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR  MR. HARRINGTON CHIBANDA ON THE CLOSURE OF THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT – INCLUSIVE WORKS PROJECT UNDER SIGHT SAVERS HELD ON FRIDAY 27TH JUNE 2025 AT THE  QUORUM IN LUSAKA

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  • THE  GUEST OF HONOUR
  • THE  DIRECTOR  OF SIGHT SAVERS MRS………………
  • ALL INVITED GUESTS
  • MEMBERS OF THE PRESS
  • ALL PROTOCOLS OBSERVED

THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS IS DELIGHTED TO HAVE BEEN ACCORDED AN OPPORTUNITY   TO SPEAK AND BE A PART OF THIS EVENT WHICH IS THE CLOSURE OF THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND INCLUSIVE WORKS PROJECT OF WHICH ZFE WAS ONE OF THE IMPLEMENTING ORGANISATIONS WITH FUNDING FROM SIGHT SAVERS ZAMBIA,

GUEST OF HONOUR, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE INVOLVMENT OF ZFE IN THIS PROJECT HAD AN OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF ENSURING THE INCLUSION AND PARTICIPATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ON THE LABOUR MARKET, WHICH WAS AN ISSUE OF PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT OPORTUNITIES IN ZFE MEMBER COMPANIES.

THIS PROJECT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOCUSED ON BUILDING THE CAPACITIES OF EMPLOYERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR BY PROVIDING INCENTIVES THAT WOULD INCREASE CONFIDENCE FOR THE INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITY IN EMPLOYMENT. IN THIS REGARD, ZFE’ S ROLE CENTRED ON STRENGTHENING THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE OF ITS NETWORK OF MEMBER COMPANIES/EMPLOYERS BY MAKING THEM BECOME MORE AWARE OF DISABILITY ISSUES AND CREATE INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES.  IN OUR QUEST TO ACHIEVE THIS, WE FOCUSED ON THE FOLLOWING THREE (3 ) CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

  1. DISABILITY AWARENESS – THIS  KEY  RESPONSIBILITY  ZEROED ON:
  2. SUPPORTING EMPLOYERS TO CONDUCT DISABILITY AWARENESS TRAINING FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES;
  3. PROVIDING INFORMATION AND ORGANISING MEETINGS ON AWARENESS OF THE MANY BENEFITS THAT CAME WITH EMPLOYING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WHICH BENEFITS INCLUDED INCENTIVES SUCH AS TAX REBATE FROM THE GOVERNMENT; AND
  4. PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ZAMBIA BUSINESS AND DISABILITY NETWORK (ZBDN) MEMBERS AND THE LARGER GROUP.
  • DISABILITY CONFIDENCE – THIS ASPECT CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING:
  • TRAINING COMPANIES ON THE USE OF RESOURCES IN THE DISABILITY CONFIDENCE TOOLKIT; AND
  • MENTORSHIP PROGRAM WHOSE FOCUS WAS TO:
  • SCOUT FOR VOLUNTEER EMPLOYERS AS MENTORS
  • TRAIN MENTORS ON DISABILITY INCLUSION; AND
  • PAIR EMPLOYERS (MENTORS) WITH TRAINED JOB SEEKERS (MENTEES).

THIS, WE MUST SAY, SAW ZFE PLACING A NUMBER OF MENTEES IN OUR MEMBER ORGANISATIONS AND AS WELL AS THE BIRTH OF ZAMBIA BUSINESS DISABILITY NET WORK COMPRISING OF A NUMBER OF COMPANIES.

THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS IS PROUD TO STATE THAT THE  OBJECTIVES  HIGHLIGHTED  ABOVE  WERE  ACHIEVED, THANKS TO SIGHT SAVERS. AS WE REFLECT ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS, SHARE LESSONS LEARNT AND  EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES  FOR  FUTURE  COLLABORATION IN ADVANCING  INCLUSIVE  ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, WE  WISH  TO ACKNOWLEDGE  THAT OVER  THE  COURSE  OF THIS  PROJECT, WE  ACHIEVED  REMARKABLE  OUTCOMES.

ACHIEVEMENTS

  • WE  WISH  TO  HIGHLIGHT THAT  THE  PROJECT  WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN EMPOWERING LIVES THROUGH THE TRAINING , EDUCATION AND RESOURCES THAT WE  PROVIDED  TO  ENABLE OUR MENTORS AND MENTEES EXCHANGE  KNOWLEDGE.
  • ACCESS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.  IT   ALSO PROMOTED INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH AS THE PROJECT  HAD  SUPPORTED  INITIATIVES  THAT  STIMULATE  ECONOMIC  GROWTH WHILE  ENSURING  THAT BENEFITS WERE SHARED  EQUALLY AMONG  ALL  STAKEHOLDERS.
  • THE PROJECT WAS ALSO KEY IN RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT  INCLUSIVITY AND  ECONOMIC  EMPOWERMENT  FOR THE  LESS PRIVILEGED

GUEST OF HONOUR , LADIES AND GENTLEMENT I ALSO WISH TO INFORM YOU THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF LESSONS LEARNT   FROM THIS PROJECT WHOSE SUCCESS DEMONSTRATES THE POWER  OF PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN PRIVATE  SECTOR AND  THE DONORS. INCLUSIVE  ECONOMIC  GROWTH CREATED MANY  OPPORTUNITIES FOR  ALL INDIVIDUALS TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND BENEFIT FROM ECONOMIC  GROWTH (AS IS EVIDENT FROM THE NUMBER  OF  PEOPLE LIVING  WITH  DISABILITIES  THAT  WERE PLACED AND LATER  EMPLOYED IN  OUR DIFFERENT  MEMBER ORGANISATIONS  DURING THE  PHASE OF THE  PROJECT).

 LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN, AS  WE  REFLECT  ON FUTURE  OPPORTUNITIES, WE  WILL  CONTINUE  TO  BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT, SCALING  OUR IMPACT TO REACH  MORE  MARGINALIZED INDIVIDUALS.  WE FURTHER  WISH TO STATE  THAT  WE WILL CONTINUE TO  SHARE  BEST  PRACTICES  AND LESSONS  LEARNT  WITH OTHER  ORGANISATION AND  STAKEHOLDERS TO INCLUDE  ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN THEIR ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS THE MANY BENEFITS THAT COME WITH DOING  SO.

GUEST OF HONOUR, LADIES  AND GENTLEMEN, AS I  CONCLUDE, I WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTINITY FOR AND ON BEHALF OF ZFE,  TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO OUR PARTNERS FOR THEIR UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND  COLLABORATION IN THIS  PROJECT. OUR BENEFICIARIES  FOR THEIR COURAGE . RESILIENCE AND DETERMINATION,  AND  TO   OUR  TEAM  OF MENTORS (FROM OUR MEMBER ORGANISATIONS) FOR THE DEDICATION, EXPERTISE AND CARE.  WITHOUT THESE THREE PLAYERS THESE MILESTONES WERE NOT GOING TO BE ACHIEVED.  THE SPIRIT OF TOGETHERNESS SAW US THROUGH THIS PROJECT AND IT IS  OUR PRAYER  THAT  MORE  OF  SUCH  INITIATIVES  WILL BE DEVISED. AS ZFE WE ARE MORE THAN READY AND WILLING TO CONTINUE PARTNERING WITH  SIGHT SAVERS AS WELL AS ANY ORGANISATIONS  TO BETTER  THE LIVES  OF THOSE  UNDER PRIVILEGED IN OUR  SOCIETY.

AS WE  CLOSE  THIS  CHAPTER, WE ARE CONFIDENT  THAT  THE  IMPACT  WILL BE THE IMPROVEMENT OF LIVES  OF THOSE  WHO WERE EMPOWERED IN ANY WAY. LET US CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE  ECONOMIC FUTURE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

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