Malawi Government Rolls Out National Youth Service Program to Improve Youth Quality of Life
All districts will participate in the programme, which will have a K3.5 billion budget.
Malawi: The Malawian government is implementing the National Youth Service programme via the Ministry of Youth and Sports in order to address the issues facing the youth of the nation, writes Comfort Bulangete.
Chikwawa District Council's District Youth Officer MacNell Shire stated in an interview that the program's national target for the 2022–2023 fiscal year is 20,000 youths, with a target of 624 for Chikwawa.
All districts will participate in the programme, which will have a K3.5 billion budget.
Shire went on to say, "Districts will be funded according to the enterprises and type of vocational and technical skills chosen by the youths. In Chikwawa, the program will commence in two T/As, with a pilot target of 90 youths, 45 for each T/A, 18 for vocational skills, and 27 for agribusiness/product development. The pilot T/As are Kasisi and Mlilima."
The initiative will improve the lives of the youth in the community by empowering them to become economically independent and by reducing harmful behaviours, according to Emmanuel Molande, Chairperson of the Kasisi Youth Club.
Labson Ntungama, Chairperson for the T/A Kasisi Area Development Committee, also commented, "The development will contribute to the development of the youths as it is mainly focusing on transforming their lives. As ADC Chair, I will make sure that the allocated resources towards the training have benefited the real youths of my area."
Malawi joins other African countries such as Nigeria, Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Zambia in implementing a National Youth Service program.