Malawi youths ‘must solve own problems’ – NGO

Youth ‘n’ Hopeful, a recently registered non-governmental organisation has said it is time for Malawian youths to start suggesting solutions to their own problems arguing the youths are no longer the leaders of tomorrow but rather of today.

One of the youth in Karonga drinking the liquor sachets
One of the youth drinking the liquor sachets

Deputy executive director of the organisation Hodges Zacharia told Nyasa Times in an interview Friday that from early next year they will “start engaging youths so that they can help turn tables of the country’s socio-eco-political being.”

Zacharia said it was unfortunate that time and again the country’s youths blamed government for not being there for them when “they can actually solve their own problems.”

He said his organisation “visualizes a world that can be transformed by developments initiated and sustained by youths across the globe. We see ourselves reaching out to as many youths as possible in various institutions, communities and countries in order to facilitate a platform for sharing innovative and development oriented ideas.

“These ideas will then be linked with hands-on projects that others will emulate nationally and internationally. We will work to have at least one significant project in every African nation by 2025. Our work will be guided by a vision that the world should be that of equal success to basic needs and a world that has met and surpassed the challenge of every millennium goals.”

Zacharia announced that the organisation has since launched a competition, Ideas for Sustainable Development, which calls for youths in Malawi to suggest solutions that would solve the country’s health woes.

“We’ve decided to focus on the project considering the fact that the country’s health system leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, as a country we’ve failed to achieve in health which is goal number three of the MDGs. For the pilot phase, we will start with College of Medicine and then later do the same in the rest of the universities. Our organization will support innovation by the students and support them in the implementation of their ideas at a larger scale,” he said, adding they will also implement projects to support street kids and encourage the spirit of volunteerism among the youth of the country.

Malawi has presently a population of over 16 million with sixty per cent of it comprising youths. However, youths have always been sidelined as backbenchers as far as issues of national importance are concerned.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
6 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
KELTON SOMANJE
KELTON SOMANJE
8 years ago

It s true that Malawian Youth should take aleading role in solving their problems because they know them very well,othes that come in to solve their problems they dont right approaches and soutions .What the youth need is resources from others.Like poverty and unemployement can be solved through Agribusiness which can use waterbodies and land that we already have.

The real Ujeni
The real Ujeni
8 years ago

This NGO is a joke and what its leader said should not have been published publicly like these. Your problems in Malawi you want to smear other countries too? You want to go global and help internationally? This is a sick joke. This is a trash NGO about to dupe people, why did Nyasa times give it space.

Agness
Agness
8 years ago

But youths drug and alcohol abuse cases and deaths are on the increase due to our weak policies.

Joseph nyirongo
Joseph nyirongo
8 years ago

If all NGOs thinks like this, then all NGOs are useless.

yakumbuyo
yakumbuyo
8 years ago

Not all youth drink.very stupid NGO

Dr Fletcher Phiri
8 years ago

It’s important to get balance right. This should not be used as an excuse for adults to run away from their responsibilities. Youths need to be educated, trained and then given opportunities to contribute to the social economic development ideas and be given other resources other than knowkdege and skills they need to achieve those dreams. Malawi had very good model of making the youth more productive during Hastings Banda’s era but the blind man who came after him destroyed everything good and bad including institution that helped him to be who he is today when he was a youth.… Read more »

Read previous post:
Malawi NGOs lambasted for creating ‘weather focus confusion’

Some non-governmental organizations in the country are spreading unfounded rumours that the Malawi will face heavy rains that will cost...

Close