Zambia is using“green” development to boost its economic growth by the creation of 5,000 new green jobs by 2017. Led by the International labor Organization’s (ILO) Green Jobs Program, Zambia is expected to achieve sustainable growth and help the environment at the same time. The Zambia Green Jobs program, a five-year $12.1 million project developed jointly by the government and the UN, is aimed at the creation of green jobs among small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Zambian building construction industry. It is led by the ILO with financial assistance from the government of Finland.
One entrepreneur who is looking to take advantage of the program is Omba Lacey. Lacey runs a house construction business in Lusaka and last year she took part in an ILO training course “Start and improve your green construction business.”
“I had never even considered using sustainable materials in my work before. Now I know I can use local material such as clay and earth bricks and timber in construction,” Lacey said. According to the ILO the program changed Lacey’s business. Together with 15 men and women who also attended, she decided to found a green consortium to deliver green goods and services.
“We recently constructed a house where I could put what I learned into practice. I saved a lot of time and money by using locally-sourced materials such as timber for roofing, door and window frames, compressed earth bricks for the walls, rainwater harvesting for water and solar panels for energy. The cost of building a house can be slashed by up to 70%, which also makes houses more affordable for everyone,” she explained.
She was also taught not to cut down all the trees at a construction site, and to use the timber of the trees she had to clear to build the house; thus eliminating costly imposts such as aluminum and steel, which saved money and the environment.
“The construction sector has played a central role in Zambia’s growth in recent years. It can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the promotion of eco-friendly building materials, services, goods and technologies such as energy saving, renewable energy and water conservation,” said TaperaMuzira, Chief Technical Advisor of the Zambia Green Jobs Program.
“To facilitate this process, the ILO is currently implementing a specific program to promote green jobs in the construction sector,” he added.Muzira said that the program will facilitate the creation of 5,000 jobs in the next two years through its partners from the government and private sector. He also said it will improve the quality of the already 2,000 existing jobs by enhancing productivity and working conditions.
Lacey, as a Zambian entrepreneur, believes that training and awareness-raising in the green construction industry are essential for the sector to contribute to job creation and sustainable development.
“More people need to be trained so that more entrepreneurs such as myself can benefit and invest in eco-friendly techniques. Also, access to funds should be facilitated especially to purchase machinery adapted to green construction. As an employer, I also support efforts being made to improve occupational health and safety, as well as access to social protection for workers,” she added.