MINISTRY of Education Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Joe Kamoko has challenged universities and colleges across the country to set more recreation facilities for students in order to keep the students from engaging in counterproductive vices.

Mr Kamoko said the current facilities in most institutions of higher learning do not give students many options and hence find themselves engaging in negative vices such as unprotected sex and Gender Based Violence (GBV).

Speaking during the launch of the Safe Campus Campaign at the University of Zambia Great East Road Campus, Mr. Kamoko said the safe campus campaign provides an opportunity for the government and stakeholders to work together to create a positive and safer environment for young people to realise positive health, education and gender equality.

The Permanent Secretary has challenged the students to take care of their health and find ways to positively contribute to the improvement of their universities by avoiding engaging in illicit sex, GBV and other negative vices.

He has thanked the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO for complementing government efforts through the implementation of the Our Rights, Our Lives and Our Future 03 Plus project.

Speaking at the same event, UNESCO Regional Advisor Patricia Machawira highlighted that the 03 Plus project aims to empower young people in tertiary and higher education institutions across East and Southern Africa, ensuring they achieve positive health, education, and gender equality outcomes and focuses on reducing new HIV infections, unintended pregnancies and GBV.

Dr. Machawira added that the initiative also seeks to shatter the silence surrounding GBV in colleges and universities and has applauded the Zambian government for their support towards the initiative which is being implemented in twelve colleges across the country.