Africa-Press – Zambia. The Jubilee Highway Programme, an initiative under the Vice President’s Office has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chongwe Municipal Council and the World Toilet Association for the construction of an Ablution block at Katende market worth 675 thousand kwacha.
Construction is expected to commence in August, 2021 and once the project is complete is expected to improve sanitation and hygiene at the market. Speaking during the signing ceremony in Chongwe, Jubilee Highway Markets Trustee, Mwenda Mumbuna said the institution has identified the market as one of the places that require improvement in sanitation.
Mr Mwenda said a similar project has already been established in Chibombo district in Southern Province. He said the initiative is committed to offering support to rural women in highway markets.
“It’s more than just building an ablution but it’s also about generally improving livelihoods,” he said.
And speaking on the same occasion, Chongwe Municipal Council Town Clerk, Sishumba Mulowa thanked the World Toilet Association and the Jubilee Highway Markets for embarking on the project his municipality.
Mr Mulowa said the project once complete will go a long way towards improving sanitation. He said the market is strategically located as it is a transit point for people that travel to and from Eastern Province.
“This will not only benefit the marketeers but it will also greatly benefit the travelling community,” Mr Mulowa said.
And World Toilet Association Manager International Cooperation Department Nikki Kim said the project is her organisation’s first of it’s kind on the African continent. Ms Kim said the Association is hopeful that it will replicate other similar projects to different parts of Africa.
Earlier, The World Toilet Association signed an MOU with Chainama Hills Hospital for the construction of an outpatient ablution block which is also expected to commence next month.
