Govt, COMSIP support youth empowerment · Launch tool-kit distribution exercise

The Government of Malawi, in conjunction with COMSIP Cooperative Union Limited, has embarked on a start-up tool- kit distribution exercise among youths trained in various informal vocational skills.

The exercise, launched in Kasungu, hopes to enable 721 youths across 14 districts—mostly out of school youths—renew their hopes of improving their livelihoods.

The youths, through Youth Skills Challenge Support Program, have honed various vocational skills including welding and fabrication, tailoring, bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, electrical installation and hair dressing.

Speaking during the launch, Minister of Youth Uchizi Mkandawire said it was imperative for the government to invest that much in the youth as they are key to the attainment of the Malawi 2063 Development Agenda.

“Often times, we have said that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow. However, we needed to also focus on what type of tomorrow they want to lead. This is why the government has taken youth empowerment initiatives very seriously because we understand that empowered leaders

The minister then commended the provision of startup equipment to the youths that have finished their training encouraging organizations with similar programs to emulate the model as it “empowers the youth to go straight into business and start generating income.” 

Chief Executive Officer for COMSIP Cooperative Union Limited Tenneson Gondwe concurred with the Minister in his remarks when he highlighted that by enabling more youths to be economically empowered, the country’s socio-economic growth stands to get an automatic push in the right direction.

The COMSIP Chief also announced that the programme is targeting 4300 youth beneficiaries by the year 2027 across the country; hence they have not attached any formal qualifications as a base for enrollment into the programme to reach out to as many underprivileged young people.

The 721 youths who are now getting their start-up-tool-kits graduated from the first cohort, with 1789 more already enrolled for the upcoming cohort.

The beneficiaries at the launch also got K300 000 loans each as startup capital to establish their businesses. They have since signed two-year bonds to operate within their home area before they can consider heading for greener pastures elsewhere.

“The idea is to benefit their host communities first with their skills and services. Besides, it’s their home of origin and it stands to be another quick way of developing rural growth centres,” said Senior Chief Kaomba in whose jurisdiction the launch was held.

COMSIP is training the youth through its Savings and Loan Groups as part of the Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project which is being implemented with funds from the World Bank and Social Protection - Multi Donor Trust Fund .