More Than a Building: Luangwa Skills Centre Offers Hope to Young People" 

By Alain Kabinda 

For many young people in Luangwa District, the dream of acquiring vocational skills has often meant travelling long distances in search of training opportunities. Today, that reality is beginning to change. 

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and the Luangwa Child Development Agency has marked a significant milestone in securing the future of the Luangwa Skills Training Centre—a facility expected to transform the lives of young people through practical skills development, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities. 

The Centre was Constructed at a cost of approximately K9.7 million, the centre was made possible through financial support from the Government of New Zealand and ChildFund New Zealand, working in partnership with the Government of Zambia and local stakeholders. While the buildings now stand complete, stakeholders say the true measure of success will be seen in the lives changed through the training offered within its walls. 

Speaking during the signing ceremony, ChildFund Zambia Acting Director Ms. Mwaka Namwinga said the centre was established to address the long-standing challenge of limited access to vocational and skills training in Luangwa District. 

Ms. Namwinga noted that the investment goes beyond infrastructure. 

"It will be found in the young person who acquires a practical skill and finds an opportunity to earn a living. It will be found in the graduate who starts a small business, and in the many young people whose futures will be brighter because this centre exists," Ms. Namwinga said. 

Ms. Namwinga reaffirmed that its approach to development focuses on strengthening government institutions rather than creating parallel systems, describing the MoU as a foundation for sustainable collaboration. 

She also expressed confidence that, under the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts, the facility would evolve into a vibrant hub for technical training, entrepreneurship, innovation and employability.

She further stressed that infrastructure alone cannot deliver meaningful outcomes. It called for continued investment in qualified instructors, relevant training programmes, modern equipment, strong institutional leadership and partnerships with industry to ensure graduates acquire skills that respond to labour market demands. 

And speaking at the same ceremony Ministry of Youth, Sports and Arts Permanent Secretary for Youth, Sport and Arts Kangwa Cheleshi described the centre as more than a training institution. 

"The Luangwa Skills Training Centre stands as a symbol of hope and opportunity for the people of Luangwa District," he said. "It is a strategic investment in the future of our young people and in the socio-economic development of our country." Mr Kanagwa said. 

He added that the facility will provide market-driven technical and vocational skills that will enable young women and men to secure decent jobs, establish businesses and contribute meaningfully to national development. 

According to Mr. Cheleshi, the centre will also stimulate local economic growth by producing a skilled workforce capable of supporting sectors such as agriculture, tourism, construction and manufacturing within Luangwa District. 

He further announced that Treasury Authority had approved the recruitment of 260 additional staff members for youth resource centres across Zambia, describing the move as evidence of government's commitment to equipping young people with practical skills. 

"For us as a ministry, youth resource centres are game changers as far as youth empowerment is concerned," he said. 

He explained that unlike financial empowerment programmes that sometimes face poor loan repayment, skills training provides young people with lifelong opportunities to earn an income. 

"When we give young people a graduation kit, we are assured that they have acquired a skill that can sustain them for the rest of their lives," he said. 

Mr. Chelesh also challenged the perception that meaningful opportunities exist only in Lusaka. 

"Life is not just in Lusaka," he said, encouraging young people to enrol at skills centres in districts such as Luangwa before returning to establish businesses wherever they choose. 

He further appealed to the private sector to strengthen partnerships with government, noting that organisations such as Smart Zambia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have already contributed internet connectivity, computers and digital infrastructure to youth resource centres across the country. 

Mr Kanagwa urged traditional leaders and local authorities and communities to safeguard the Luangwa Skills Training Centre and ensure it remains a centre of excellence for future generations. 

He confirmed that staff have already been deployed to operationalise the facility, fulfilling government's commitment to the people of Luangwa. 

As pens were put to paper to formalize the partnership, the ceremony represented more than the signing of an agreement. It symbolized a shared commitment to creating opportunities for Zambia's young people through education, practical skills and enterprise. 

For the youth of Luangwa, the new skills training centre is not simply another public building—it is a gateway to employment, entrepreneurship and a more hopeful future.

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