Government has disbursed 97,500 kwacha loans to 135 small scale women entrepreneurs in Chipata district.
Chipata District Administrative Officer, Kapembwa Sikazwe says the loans which are under village Bank program run by the Ministry of Community Development range from 600 to 1,000 Kwacha.
Mr. Sikazwe says the village Bank program is one way of empowering women to better their lives through entrepreneurship so that they do not become vulnerable to vices such as HIV and AIDS and GBV, Gender Based Violence.
Mr. Sikazwe says about 98 percent of women who got the loans last year were able to pay back while two percent of the women did not manage to pay back.
He says some of the 98 percent women who managed to pay back are also among the 135 beneficiaries while the rest are new beneficiaries.
Mr. Sikazwe urged the new beneficiaries to ensure that they pay back the loans so that other people benefit too.
And one of the beneficiaries, Florida Lungu thanked government for introducing the village Bank program which she says has assisted women boost their businesses.
Mrs. Lungu urged her fellow women to put the funds to good use.