Group Village Head Malema in the area of Traditional Authority Kyungu in Karonga District has appealed to parents in the District to ensure that all girls attend to education with an aim of ending gender based violence. Malema made the remarks following commemoration of 16 days of gender activism in the district.
In an interview, he described education as a tool that can help girls know their rights and prevent GBV, hence the need for it. “In my area, every parent that allows his/her child to stay away from school will be fined 2000 kwacha per day, what we want is to educate every girl child because educating a girl child is key in ending GBV and also key in the development of the country,” he said.
He has since asked parents to stop sending girls into early marriages with the aim of gaining money through payment of lobola. On her part, Karonga Principle Gender Officer, Martha Kalumbi, said as the council, they are concerned with sexual violence of children and are promoting prevention by engaging communities. “We are conducting sensitisation meetings and promoting prevention of GBV by engaging community members on issues to do with sexual violence of children, in these meetings we teach them that such violence must not be tolerated,” she said.
She has since urged all community members to report all cases of gender based violence so as to help young girls attain the required education.
As one way of empowering youths economically in the country, a Machinjiri-based youth-led non-governmental organization in Blantyre , Young Empowers Organization ( YEO) has embarked on a project to train youths who failed to attend tertiary education on financial issues several course which will help them to find jobs or start businesses and be self-reliant in future.
In a separate interview, the organization’s Executive Director Steven Jonathan said their organization work hand in hand with the youths, bringing them together and share with them ideas on how to develop Malawi. ” We as young empowers organization, we work hand in hand with the youths across the country, bringing them together, and share with them ideas so as to implement activities that can benefit them in life. By doing so, we also contribute to the development of this nation.
The main aim of these short trainings s is to help those youths who failed to go to universities and colleges because of the financial problems able to study these short trainings in order for them to get a a paper which they can use to get a job or start businesses and survive in life, ” said Jonathan. He said, the courses that the organization offers are not specific and that it depends on the majority of those who have qualified , choose what they want to study at a particular period of time.
” The courses we offer are not specific. Mostly, it depends on majority of youths who have qualified, choose what they want to study at that particular period of time. Our partners in Thailand offer what these youths have chosen, ” he said. Jonathan said, despite the challenges they meet, it is still their organization’s wish to reach out all the youths across the country with the program. ” We have challenges such as lack of financial support for our works as you know that mobilizing resources requires financial help.
He however, urged youths who do not have the chance to attend tertiary education due to financial constraints in the country to apply for these short trainings which will enable them to get a job and get employed. ” These short trainings are very important if the one is to get a job for we offer accredited certificates. Several organizations and individuals are commending the good job we doing,” said Jonathan. He called on government and other stakeholders to financially support the organization so as it reaches out to many youths in the country. ” I call on government and stakeholders to that now it is time to start support youths activities that can also motivate them. Youths contribute a lot towards the development of this country, so they deserve attention and support,” he said. Currently, the organization with the support from Cooperative Training Bangkok in Thailand( CTB) is conducting the online short trainings. For the one to be qualified in the trainings, he or she has to be a person who is able to speak and write English.
President Lazarus Chakwera has two new ministers to fill in the positions that were vacant. Jacob Hara, MP has been appointed as Minister of Transport and Public Works.
Chakwera has also appointed renowned academician Professor Blessings Chinsinga as Minister of Local government.
Hon Jacob HaraHon Blessings Chinsinga
The newly appointed ministers replace Lingson Belekanyama and Sidik Mia who died earlier this year.
A statement signed by Zangazanga Chikhosi, Secretary to the President and Cabinet says the appointments are with immediate effect.
A third-year student in Business Management and entrepreneurship at Malawi College of Accountancy ( MCA), Blantyre campus Shailene Patmos has published a crime mystery novel book called Hunting Rhino.
Speaking at the book launch on Friday at coffee culture in Blantyre, a 21-year old Shailene explained that Hunting Rhino is a crime mystery novel about an ambitious detective named Jerry Wota who teams up with a female murder convict to track down the untraceable serial killer, Rhino. ” It is a nice novel and worth reading. It is about an ambitious detective named Jerry Wota who teams up with a female murder convict to track down the untraceable serial killer, Rhino. But the closer they get to unveiling the truth, the more predicaments rise, the more deadly the case becomes”, she explained.
Shailene Patmos
She said, she is a young girl who likes to stand out and challenges herself by doing something different from her fellow writers who are writing similar things, hence coming up with a novel which is quite different from other people’s published books. ” I like to challenge myself by doing something different. I used to be known for writing romance stories and I needed to do something out of my comfort zone, yet still in line with my passion. So I have been a fan of my mysteries for a very long time. I remember, I used to read the seven series by Enid Blyton when I was in Secondary School, and it has been always a dream of my to stories of that kind. ” I don want to settle on just one genre. I want to explore many genres, specifically, science and adventures. I want to challenge my fellow writers to have miscellaneous imaginations.
We should write think outside box and bring out stories that would amaze people,” she said. Shailene encouraged her fellow writers to fight for their gifts. She said, a lot of people are reluctant towards pursuing their dreams because they feel like the industry is flooded so that there is no room for them to put out their ideas there, whereas others just feel scared, things she said are not worth to be followed by writers. ” Well, I am encouraging my fellow writers to pick up the pen or turn on that computer and that draft, script or poem, no matter what a challenge as this is how we writers learn and grow. I know it is easy to come up with a story but it is hard to get it all done. Nonetheless, it is worth and satisfying when you finally finish the project. So let us not throw away good stories before they are even appreciated by the world,”said Shailene.
Responding on how best the government is doing in the promotion of writing industry, the young writer said, the government is performing well in the promotion of writing industry, citing the introduction of various platforms for writing promotions. ” I can say, we are getting there. Platforms are being introduced for promotions, writers are being recognized and we are getting a lot of support than before, so this is good progress,” she said.
The young writer said to come up with her book, she has passed through a lot of heavy challenges, and the one being lack of financial support to host events for her book. ” The challenges were a lot , for instance, we did not had any sponsors, so as to pull off events like this one of book launch. It was not easy. At time it was getting emotionally and psychologically stressful because it really seemed possible at first. But I thank God for he has been there though it all and we are finally have a launch of the book,” she said.
She called on government and other related stakeholders to continue investing much in writing industry and take the industry to the top level. ” I wish the government and stakeholders not stop investing much in writing industry and book projects. They should continue doing that so as to move the industry to the other level. There is a lot of potential here in Malawi and I love the fact that we writers are very united and we will ultimately achieve so much for this country,” said Shailene.
In his remarks, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Innov8 MW Peter Banda congratulated Shailene for coming up with a nice book which he said will change lives of many in Malawi and abroad. He said, Shailene has proven to be a courageous young writer who regardless of any challenge people fear to meet, still knows how capable she is in the art industry. He said, youths should stop having a mindset to take industry they are in being tough and not easy to achieve. ” This is amazing that we are today here witnessing the ” Hunting Rhino” book launch by our fellow youth Shailene. This is a very nice book which I believe will change lives of Malawians and even those who are abroad. Let me tell those who say they cannot achieve things in their industries. Had it been Shailene was thinking like that, she could have never written this amazing book. Always work hard and do everything you are good at with your all heart. Nothing is impossible and tough as you put effort, ” said Banda.
Apart from being a writer, Shailene is also an artist, actress and advocate for financial literacy. The ‘Hunting Rhino’ novel is currently being sold at an affordable price of K5,000.
On Friday, Innovational Centre for Change ( YICC), a Likuni based non-governmental organization in Lilongwe visited and cheered up 50 street kids at Kankodola Primary School in Mtandire, Lilongwe.
The visit was to interact with the kids, sharing with them motivational stories and encourage them to work hard and become entrepreneurs so as to be self-reliant in life.
Speaking during the visit, Director for Youth Innovation centre for Change Bridget Chaponda said their organization vision centres on creating a good environment for young innovators and entrepreneurs as the name of the organization ( Youth Innovational Centre for Change) suggests, so as they contribute towards economic development of Malawi, Africa and the World as whole.
She said at YICC, they are in line with the vision 2030 which among other things aims at empowering young innovators of the whole world. ” It’s now high time that youth should stop going to school with the aim of being employed after. I would like to change this mindset that it is not too soon or late to do something as a young person. Even 8-years boy can contribute a 10 percent to the GDP regardless of her economic status, weather a street kid or not.
My vision is to build this centre here in Malawi that will call all young Malawian innovators to come together, develop their careers, lead them into businesses and promote them to global economic contribution”, said Chaponda. Chaponda said her vision as young leader is not to leave anyone behind to be come an entrepreneur or change maker. She said, discriminating street kids because of their status is not an ideal thing, for they are also citizens of Malawi and can contribute towards the social-economic development of the country. ” If we leave street kids behind, we will not achieve the SDG ( No poverty) goal. As a citizen of this country who believes in togetherness and unity, I need to come up with a solution of the needy and street kids by not looking at their economic status”, she said.
She added that the visit was also to find out how these kinds found themselves in the streets and telling them what are the basic needs that the NGOs, government and well-wishers can provide them for their well being. ” These are people with no homes, but they need our support and not to lock them in house like what happened in Blantyre. Let us give them place, that will be their village so as they be able to do businesses and contribute to employment and economic development of this country. I tell you, these kids can do better in business for they are very talented and skilled, she added.
To the government, Chaponda called on the government to stand strong and push much for the vision 2030 with physical, mental, and financial support. She said, she will be happy if the government and its responsible Ministry for her works will provide her a space to build up a centre for her organization in Lilongwe and help her in fundraising money for the project to be executed. ” Youth Innovational Centre is open for partnership in different projects. As young African leaders, we need to work together as a team. I am calling on the government, stakeholdera and well-wishers to come out and support the streets kids. We need your presence and financial support for our events when meeting the street kids. For those who can donate items, it will be more appropriated”, she said.
In his remarks, Director of Miracle Foundation, Steve Chinsendenji thanked Youth Innovational centre for visiting the kids saying this will encourage them to work hard in life and also have feeling that they are important people who deserve contribution to the social-economic development of Malawi. ” This visitation is a sign to them that they are not alone and they should not lose hope. Am looking forward for us to work hand in hand in order to change the lives of these street kids. I also call on the well-wishers to financially support our organization, Miracle Foundation to build a home for the needy street kids where they can live”, he said.
Apart from being a founder and a leader of Youth Innovational centre for Change, Chaponda is also among the only three Malawians who have recently graduated from Youead Summit Africa Malawi with a mission to improve Malawi’s changemakers skills, and activating young people around for achieving SDGs by 2030. The YouLead is expected to provide entrepreneurship and vocational trainings to youth and youth leaders within the Malawi.
