Vocational training and entrepreneurship empower youth in Lilongwe
The Mtukula Moyo project in Lilongwe provides vocational skills and entrepreneurship training to empower youth in rural areas.
LILONGWE, MALAWI — A Lilongwe-based organisation, Initiative for Rural Development and Youth Empowerment (IRADE), is implementing a project called Mtukula Moyo that aims to economically empower the youth of Namitondo, Namitete, Kalolo, and Msangwa communities, writes Happy Valirani.
The project has been running since 2020 and has reached out to over 200 youth with different programmes such as vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and agribusiness.
The project is funded by well-wishers and local companies such as HOPMAC and Nthangala.
Executive Director and Co-founder of IRADE, Steven Malemia, said the project was established to provide vocational skills and entrepreneurship training to the youth of Lilongwe so that they can be self-reliant.
"Our ultimate goal was to create a generation of self-reliant and economically empowered youth who could contribute to the prosperity of their communities and foster sustainable economic growth," Malemia explained.
The project has had a positive impact on the lives of many young people. Catherine Chikadza, who has benefited from the project, says it changed her life after she underwent training in fashion and design and opened her shop.
"Now I have my sewing machine, which I use to sew and sell clothes. I can support myself while teaching others to be self-reliant. I thank IRADE for the project because, without them, most of us young people around Namitondo could have been indulging in unbecoming behaviours," expressed Chikadza.
Austin Kamkwamba, who also benefited from the project, said he learned various skills from the Mtukula Moyo project, including new farming technologies, bee and pepper farming, and how to do farming as a business.
"The skills I acquired are helping me sustain myself, and I am teaching others too," said Kamkwamba.
He said the Mtukula Moyo project has proved to be an economic driver of change in the lives of many youths who are now becoming self-sufficient.
Malemia said besides the training and skills development project, the organisation also focuses on other activities such as training on long-term life planning, monitoring and evaluation systems, engaging communities to foster collaboration, and maintaining transparency with stakeholders.
Like many other organisations, IRADE has also been facing financial hiccups, which Malemia singled out as one of the factors that is hindering the progress of the projects in many areas.
Malemia added that the organisation is exploring different initiatives that can help them mobilise funds for the continued running of the project so that it reaches as many youths as possible in the catchment area.
The Mtukula Moyo project serves as a beacon of hope for the youth in Lilongwe, providing them with the tools and knowledge to become self-sufficient and create opportunities for themselves and others.