By Memory Khutuliwa

Blantyre, May 2, Mana; Youths from  Traditional Authority Chigalu in Blantyre have urged government and development partners to support them with technical, vocational skills and business capital to ensure their economic empowerment.

Chairperson for Mdeka Youth Club, Precious Kuntaja said Traditional Authority Kuntaja has more youths than adults hence the need to empower them,

He said the youths discussed with chiefs and elders’ ways and means of establishing other youth clubs in the area to provide platform for discussing their social and economic needs.

“We need technical and vocational skills, capital and other resources that can help to sustain our livelihood because government, companies and non- governmental; organizations cannot employ all of us,” he said.

TA Kuntaja therefore called for opportunities for technical and vocational skills within their reach to enable youths learn skills that should empower them economically to become self-reliant other than depending on parents and guardians for support.

“We also need girls to be empowered because gone are days when girls thought all they could do are household chores,” he added.

In his remarks, Blantyre District Council Youth Officer, Peter Mizedya, acknowledged limited resources as a limiting factor towards youth economic empowerment.

He however said some youths in Blantyre rural are engaging in small scale enterprises and they are earning a living but also creating job opportunities for other youths.

“It is very encouraging to see youths making a living out of small scale enterprises on their own without depend on parents,” he said.

Mizedya added that his office encourages youths to be in clubs where they should discuss issues that should propel them to learn technical and vocational skills that should help them generate income for sustainable livelihood.

Female welder Virginia Vinye, told Malawi News Agency that limited resources such as lack of tools was another contributing factor that compel girls to remain unproductive despite acquiring technical and vocational skills.

“I don’t have enough equipment. I borrow some of the machines to do my work,” said Vinye, adding that she does not have safety wear and capital that can help her to buy additional material to boost her welding enterprise.