YONECO to build a K16m community centre in Machinga: Friends from Canada to fund project
Youth Net and Counselling (Yoneco) has embarked on a K16 million (about $40 000) community resource centre construction at Mapira Trading Centre, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mposa in Machinga with friends of YONECO in Canada supporting the project where the youths will have access to various information especially on HIV and AIDS.
Once the resource centre is through it will be called Neil George Mposa Community Information Centre in honor of the Neils family, who are behind the project financially.
Speaking during the ground breaking ceremony that took place in the area close to Lake Chilwa on Sunday, YONECO’s executive director Mac Bain Mkandawire said they have been working at Mposa for six years without a proper youth resource centre as the one they are renting is of sub-standard and too small to accommodate many youths.
“We are carrying out a number of programmes in this area that are to do with HIV and Aids prevention, sexual and reproductive health, and child marriages, among other activities. Now that we are moving together with Mposa communities, they requested that we build a community resource centre where the youth can access information in a library, and other youth friendly services.”
Mkandawire said they are currently renting a centre at K7, 000 per month.
“It is encouraging that the Mposa communities have contributed in the molding of 35,000 bricks targeting a figure of about 70 000 for the project,” he said.
Mkandawire hailed “citizen power” in Machinga where people are being stimulated to do things on their own in the wake of local governance and citizen participation.
He said once the resource centre is through youths will have an access of indoor games, access on information since the centre will also carter for a library.
In his remarks, Neil George said it pleased him to help on the project after being satisfied with the work YONECO is doing at Mposa.
For instance, he pointed at things like, tackling the issues on HIV and AIDS, Food security and local governance capacity.
George also hailed Mposa community for taking a leading role in the project by offering themselves to mould bricks and offering the free land for the construction of the centre.
YONECO’s board chairman Yoneco Board chairperson Professor Dixie Maluwa Banda, who also planted a tree together with Neil George’s father at the construction site, urged the community to avoid vandalism of the centre once it is constructed.
Senior group village head Mapira hailed the initiative and asked other organisations to emulate Yoneco’s example.
After the ground breaking ceremony, there was the launch of Mposa Awareness Week and Football Tournament.
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