The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Grace Obama Chiumia has assured the youth victims of the just ended xenophobia attacks in South Africa that the government was putting in place measures to accommodate them into a work force in addressing their social-economic challenges encountered due to the incident.
Minister Chiumia was addressing the World Bank Youth Network (WBYN) in Malawi; on Wednesday, June 10, 2015 in the capital Lilongwe when the grouping hosted the panel discussion on what will it take to end poverty in Malawi.
With the theme titled, “Developing practical solutions to development challenges, the discussion attracted over 30 youths representing different organisation converged to iron out possible ways to eradicate poverty in Malawi which among strategies was to embark on entrepreneurship and vocation training and taking agriculture as a business.
Chiumia assured those youths affected by xenophobia to remain calm as government was finalising the strategic approach towards addressing their challenges which has led them into destitute and homeless.
“Government is much concerned with what happened to our people lived in South Africa who was the victims of xenophobia particularly the youths who constituted the grouping of those affected.
“Tangible programmes have been lined up to accommodate them into work forces such entrepreneurship and vocation training through the just opened community colleges for the them to move forward with their lives rather thinking of going back to South Africa as what we have just heard.
“Malawi has all resources to sustain its youths of not migrating to other countries therefore with the current regime; youths have a lot to trade on for the improvement of their families. Let’s have our own products to sell outside this nation through the community colleges”, delighted the Minister popularly known as Obama.
Later the Maravi Post caught up with Chimwemwe Manyozo, WBYN National coordinator saying grouping has set a new forum for young people in the country showcasing their vigour to help themselves and communities through various projects implemented since its establishment in 2014.
Manyozo said the network has also helped other youths with internal saving loans and linking them with organisations for internship as the job market is becoming stiff with so many graduates scrambling for little space of employment.
“Research indicates that the industry cannot manage to accommodate all deserving young graduates from colleges and universities in Malawi as they can’t compete with other on the job market as it requires relevant experience. Thus, the network established the initiative of approaching organisation to provide internship opportunities to its members particularly in colleges and universities. This programme is working as so far we have sent for girls for internship at UN women, Jubilee Enterprises and Timveni Television.
“Apart from that the grouping is providing soft loans to young people with business ideas the funds which comes from the shares that members purchase every month. And on top of that the network in collaboration with MHub have developed a skill development and vocational training programs that aims to impact videography, photography, basic IT skills, graphic designing and desktop publishing and, basic music production skills”, outlines Manyozo who is also the Public Relations Officer for Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
World Bank Youth Network-Malawi is a non political grouping of Malawian youth existing to promote effective youth citizenship and activism in socio and economic development was established in June 2014.
The network is run and managed by a group of young professionals about youth and national development whose many objective is to advocate and lobby youths inclusion in consultative processes and decision making position by engaging government, the World Bank-Malawi, CSOs and other institutions.
