FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WITH PICTURES
NOVEMBER 12, 2021

ZAMBIAN BREWERIES BACKS YOUTH MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME
 

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The brewer’s partnership with Chibolya Media Farm is on course to curb underage drinking

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA –Providing the youth with valuable life and entrepreneurial skills is one way that Zambian Breweries is helping to fight the scourge of underage drinking, particularly in Lusaka.

Underage drinking in the country has been a growing phenomenon, with a 2019 World Health Organization report revealing that up to 43% of youth in Zambia consume alcohol.

In its bid to be a responsible brewer, Zambian Breweries under its Better World strategy, has been running an annual Smart Drinking campaign to promote responsible alcohol consumption and discourage underage drinking in local communities.

To this end, Zambian Breweries teamed up with Every Moment Connections Limited to establish the Chibolya Media Farm initiative, to curb poverty, underage drinking, youth disempowerment and social degradation.

Every Moment’s Chief Executive Officer, Nasho Mapulanga, explained that “the initiative was birthed after extensive research into the needs of young people, particularly in Chibolya – where it was discovered that the youth had nothing to occupy their time after completing their secondary school education. This led them to resort to alcohol abuse out of boredom.”

“A partnership was then agreed to with Zambian Breweries’ support to come up with a programme to empower the youth with life skills, sensitisation around smart drinking as well as mentorship through the ‘I am a Mentor programme.’”

The project does this through a special 3-month course where young people are taught entrepreneurship, film making and mentorship skills.

“The program – in it’s in second phase this year – identified and adopted a total of 18 youth to be supported through guidance and mentorship interventions,” he said.

“The Drug Enforcement Commission is called upon to carry out a drug sensitisation workshop, training the youth on the dangers of drug abuse and how to create awareness among their peers. The trainees then go on to carry out sensitisations at local secondary schools before they graduate from the programme.”

“It is encouraging to see the positive response from the youth and the impact this program is making in their lives. They are truly ambassadors of the Media Farm project. We have had several of our attendees go on to have internships and find full time work with the likes of Muvi TV, Q TV and Zed TV. Others have gone on to be youth mentors, helping their peers learn about the dangers of underage drinking and encouraging them not to engage in irresponsible behaviour.”

In his inauguration speech, His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema stated that his government would work to rescue the country’s youth from vices such as alcohol and substance abuse to improve their contribution to the country’s economic development.

Zambian Breweries’ Corporate Affairs Director, Ezekiel Sekele, added that Zambian Breweries was committed to bettering the wellbeing of the youth in the community, noting that it was important for adolescents to be trained and skilled for them to have a chance at gainful employment.

“Our efforts through this programme are in line with government’s pledge to eradicate alcohol abuse in Zambia as part of its development and economic transformation agenda,” he said.

Mr Sekele was speaking during a courtesy call to Chibolya Media Farm to visit the trainees of the 2021 mentorship training program.

“Zambian Breweries cares a great deal about the youth of this country and this initiative is our way of giving back to the community. The youth are an important asset to our country and it is vital that they receive valuable training and life skills that will enable them stand out in the job market or even be able to start entrepreneurial ventures from this workshop.”

He added that the Brewery was proud of the success stories that had come out of the venture and saw it as a testament of real social change taking place in the communities.

“We started the Smart Drinking campaign with the aim of enhancing the lives of people in the community and building a better world. As ZB, we are delighted to be part of this initiative and the awareness it is creating around the dangers of underage and irresponsible drinking while providing the youth with opportunities for growth and life change,” Mr. Sekele said.

This year’s edition of the Chibolya Media Farm is expected to run until December, with full support from Zambian Breweries.

It is expected that a total of 20 youth will be trained as youth mentors and go on to drive positive change in their communities.

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About AB InBev in Zambia
Zambian Breweries Plc is part of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), the largest brewer in the world, with more than 500 beer brands and some 200,000 employees in over 50 countries. It is also one of the world’s largest bottlers of soft drinks.
Zambian Breweries was established in Zambia in 1968 and its product range has grown to include clear beers such as Mosi Lager, Castle, Carling Black Label, Eagle, Stella Artois, and Budweiser.

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