By Jones Gadama
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO), a local non-governmental organization, has taken a significant step towards promoting peacebuilding, violence prevention, and community cohesion in Phalombe and Machinga districts.
Through the Sustaining Community Women Movement for Peacebuilding and Response project, YONECO has trained 10 community peacebuilding coaches, five from each district, on skills that promote peacebuilding, violence prevention, community cohesion, and gender equality.
The five-day training, conducted in Phalombe and Machinga districts, respectively, aimed to equip grassroots sports coaches with the necessary skills to promote peace and stability in their communities.
According to Mbanandi Saka Mahala, Project Coordinator, the initiative focuses on enhancing the participation of women in conflict prevention and humanitarian response through community-based sports activities.
The training is part of a broader effort to empower women and promote gender equality in community leadership and sports. Phalombe District Sports Officer Patrick Cheruwah praised the initiative, saying that the skills gained would help address various social challenges.
“Sports are a unifying force—it is easier to deliver messages on peace and gender equality through them,” Cheruwah said, adding that, “This training will foster social cohesion, empower women, and give them space in community leadership and sports.”
The training also covered disaster preparedness and resilience, a critical aspect of peacebuilding in disaster-prone areas like Phalombe.
Cheruwah noted that the skills gained would help community peacebuilding coaches to develop strategies that promote peace and stability in the face of disasters.
The initiative is funded by the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund through UN Women, highlighting the importance of promoting women’s participation in peacebuilding and humanitarian response.
YONECO’s efforts to empower community peacebuilding coaches are a significant step towards promoting peace and stability in Phalombe and Machinga districts.
The training is expected to have a positive impact on the communities, promoting social cohesion, empowering women, and giving them a voice in community leadership and sports.
As Cheruwah noted, sports can be a powerful tool for delivering messages on peace and gender equality, and the skills gained by the community peacebuilding coaches will be critical in promoting peace and stability in their communities.
YONECO’s initiative to train community peacebuilding coaches is a significant step towards promoting peacebuilding, violence prevention, and community cohesion in Phalombe and Machinga districts.
The training has equipped grassroots sports coaches with the necessary skills to promote peace and stability in their communities, and it is expected to have a positive impact on the communities.
