By Pempho Nkhoma

Blantyre, June 4, Mana: Francis Mkonda Foundation (FM Foundation) a charitable organization founded by Might Mukuru Wandreres player, Francis Mkonda is providing free vocational skill training to the less privileged youths in Machinjiri to ensure their economic empowerment.

FM Foundation is based in Blantyre, Machinjiri Area 5 and started free training sessions with two courses namely; electrical installation plus dish installation targeting the less privileged youths within Blantyre and surrounding areas.

Chief Executive Officer for FM Foundation, and Founder, Mkonda told Malawi News Agency that despite assisting the elderly and orphans with basic needs, the foundation thought of introducing programmes that could address issues of unemployment among the youths through free vocational skill trainings.

“We have been assisting the elderly and orphans with basic needs and we noticed that there are a lot of young people who are just staying at home. This is why we came up with the free trainings to give them something to do,” he said.

Mkonda added that the foundation is planning to start its own electrical installation company which will be employing graduates from FM Foundation.

“But as of now, we have partnered with other local companies that will be offering job opportunities to our students. After successfully completing the trainings, we will be sending them to work in residential places and companies that we have partnered with,” he said.

Blantyre District Youth Officer, Peter Mizedya commended FM Foundation for the initiative saying that it was impressive that a youth has taken Centre stage in finding solutions to problems which fellow youths were facing.

“It is important for young people to learn vocational skills for them to be employed or to start their own businesses and employ other youths to reduce unemployment rate,” he said.

Mizedya added that Blantyre Youth Office gives the youths guidance on what to do after the trainings and his offices also connect them to institutions that give loans to youth groups.

“We urge them to form cooperatives so that they can run their own businesses as a group and we give direction on how to manage the cooperatives,” he said.

However, he advised youth organizations that teaches vocational skills to consider working with Teveta to be accredited.

The first cohort of students to enroll with FM Foundation for skills programme started classes in January this year and the classes are in progress.