Power to Youth's small grants bring hope to Machinga youths

Machinga, December 24, Mana: Power to Youth, a consortium of several youth focus and human rights organizations disburse small grants to youth led clubs in Machinga to deal with child marriages and other challenges that affect youth wellbeing.

Youth Wave Malawi, District Coordinator, Shalid Ishmael told Malawi News agency (Mana) recently that the consortium has so far provided small grants to youths at traditional authorities Sale, Kapoloma and Mizinga in the district.

"The Power to Youth initiative recognizes young people as critical agents of positive change. Small grants equip the youths and give them a platform to be heard and possibly create more youth organizations in the future.

“Youths can stand on their own and defend themselves in tough circumstances they couldn't afford in the past. They tackle issues of injustice, mobilize community leaders and raise awareness for their rights,” said Coordinator of Youth Wave Malawi.

Power to Youth is a five-year (2021 -2025) movement led by Youth Wave, Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Malawi Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) Alliance, Center for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education (CEYECE) and Malawi Human Rights Resource Center (MHRRC),

Machinga District Youth Officer, Hope Mwafulirwa called the youths in the targeted areas to consider the initiative by Power to Youth as an opportunity to stand up, claim their rights, and bring positive change in their respective societies.

“Change begins with the youths, Let the youths in the targeted communities utilize the opportunity, they should not take small grants for granted,” he said.

Mwafulirwa observed that the grants already proved useful in the fight against child marriage and other forms of violence against children.

“Unlike the past year where Power to Youth was granting K750 000 per club and 1,500 000 per traditional authority, this year the grant has been increased to K2. million per traditional authority and K1. million per club,” he disclosed.

Modesta Witnesi testified that she was encouraged to go back to school after youth clubs at Traditional Authority Mizinga raised awareness on Ministry of Education’s re-admission policy on top of stressing that the right education was a critical part of child education.

After a series of community awareness at Mizinga, local leaders took the task of nullifying child marriages and further warned parents against facilitating child marriages,

She said the youth clubs, with the backing of local leaders, mobilized those who dropped out of school for other reasons to return to class.

“I got pregnant when l was in form 1 and I got married instantly. I was withdrawn from marriage and proceeded with education up to form 4,” Modesta who was at Namabaiko Community Day Secondary School added.

Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Power to Youth alliance is meant to address issues related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV), child marriages, and other forms of harmful traditional practices.