8 September 2007
Ndola — FOURTY SIX former street kids who were enrolled to undertake various survival skills courses at the Chiwoko Zambia National Service Camp (ZNS) in Katete last March have deserted the camp.
Chiwoko ZNS camp deputy commandant, John Mwanza said when the Parliamentary committee on Youth and Child Welfare visited the camp to check on the success of the programme, that those who left were mainly from Lusaka and Copperbelt.
Major Mwanza said out of the 434 street kids who were enrolled from all provinces, only 388 youths had remained.
He explained that some of the youths left the camp because they failed to cope with the changed environment and the code of conduct while others thought they were being taken to the camp to start employment.
He said others left because they wanted to undertake courses of their own preferences.
Major Mwanza said medical examinations carried out on the youths revealed that most of them were suffering from various sexually transmitted infections and respiratory diseases, among others.
He said the youths had finished the first phase of their training, which involved theoretical understanding of the skills and would now move on to do some practical lessons.
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