By George Bulombola
Mzuzu, June 4, Mana: Young people from Mzuzu City and Mzimba North, on Tuesday applauded government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports for developing an all-inclusive National Youth Policy which aims at empowering them in various fields of their interests.
Speaking on behalf of the youth in Mzuzu during the policy dissemination meeting, Mathew Botha who is the Director of Do Your Part Initiative said the current policy which was launched in 2023 and will run up to 2028 has filled gaps which were in the previous policy.
“Most of the initiatives in the previous policy focused on health and nutrition but in this policy, government has streamlined economics as part of entrepreneurship and enterprises, thereby making it a vehicle towards realizing Malawi 2063,” said Botha.
He added that among other issues, the policy highlights initiatives that government has put in place for the youth and as youth advocates, they will popularise the document so that almost all young people are aware of the development.
He described it as a tool for enhancing youth involvement as active drivers of development in contributing to the country’s efforts towards the attainment of Malawi 2063.
Principal Youth Officer in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Baldwin Mkumbadzala said that the policy is important as it has outlined various issues that affect programming of initiatives that can address some of the challenges which young people experience.
“It provides direction on how the initiatives should be carried out so that the youth are empowered to face challenges that are there in life.
“We also want the public including civil societies to have information about the policy so that they align their programmes to what is stipulated in this book for the benefit of the youth,” said Mkumbadzala.
The policy was launched in 2023 by President Lazarus Chakwera, with dissemination beginning the same year; this activity was a continuation of that exercise.
With support from Plan International Malawi the ministry is currently taking the policy dissemination initiative to some local authorities including Mzuzu City.
