Airtel splashes K6m towards Tingathe ‘Mitchana ya Geni’ loans
Airtel Malawi through its Airtel Money Trust Fund has made a contribution of K6 million towards Tingathe ‘Mitchana ya Geni’ program aimed at providing loans and skills to enable the youth in Mtandire township in Lilongwe to venture into small scale businesses.
‘Mitchana ya Geni’ is a revolving youth fund that will help young people fulfill their dreams and currently the program is targeting 28 youths who have just graduated in arts&Crafts,Agri-Business,Cosmetology,Carpentry and Joinery, and Fashion and Designing being spearheaded by Tingathe a non-governmental organisation.
Speaking during the symbolic presentation of the Cheque at Mtandire in Lilongwe on Tuesday, Airtel Money Head Chris Sukasuka said Airtel as a brand it is their wish to see young people achieving their dreams and make it big in life.
“When we heard about the program that Tingathe Organization is implementing here in Mtandire, we began working with them as far as back as last year to see how best we can assist and be part of changing the lives of young people,” he said
Sukasuka said there in no any proper way of beating the current unemployment crisis than equipping the youth with various skills and providing them with Business capital.
He further pointed out that the youth should start considering entrepreneurship as a career choice, instead of looking to be absorbed into the already constricted job market which is flooded with frustrations.
According to Sukasuka, Airtel Money Trust fund is money set aside from interest earned from the mobile money business that goes back to the community in need across the country under Airtel’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programme called ‘touching lives’.
Airtel Money Board Member Frank Mvalo also concurred with Sukasuka saying they believe that the program will improve the social-economic status of the underprivileged communities under the health and education Sector.
“We also realize that the youth are one of the key drivers of development in the country and can therefore not be left out in our plans and efforts to help in the development of Malawi,” Mvalo added
Director and Co-Founder of Tingathe Sarah Lindeire said her organization is working tirelessly to make sure that young people in Mtandire, Nsiliza and Senti in Lilongwe are fully equipped with various skills for them to be champions and be able to uplift themselves in terms of finance.
Lindeire said ‘Mitchana ya Geni’ is a revolving fund and will be managed and dispersed by Tingathe to 28 young people aged between 18 to 30 who have graduated from different courses and submitted business plans for different business ideas and they succeeded.
“Each of the 28 young stars will receive K 200, 000 loans via Airtel Money and will be required to repay the loan within a maximum period of one year,” she said
Tingathe is a non-governmental organization focused on the provision of vocational, technical and entrepreneurship trainings that are designed to prepare out of school youth for productive community life.
The mission of Tingathe is to equip youth who were unable to complete secondary school or have completed secondary school but are unemployed with marketable skills to start enterprises or find employment and thrive in the employment market.
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