AYISE construct multipurpose youth centre in Thyolo: Commits to empower youths with diverse programmes
Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement (AYISE) and Thyolo Dstrict Council have said the newly constructed multi-million Multi-purpose Youth Centre will help develop and empower the youth in the district to contribute to sustainable economic development.
The multi-purpose youth centre, constructed by AYISE with financial support from UNICEF, is also a model platform for reaching out to the youth with diverse training programmes and services.
The facility will be of benefit to over 160,000 youths, according to the district’s Director of Planning and Development, Douglas Mofart.
The Minister of Labour, Youth and Man Power, Henry Mussa is scheduled to officially open the facility this Thursday.
The facility, the second after Bangwe Multi-purpose Youth Centre in Blantyre, is geared towards developing knowledge, skills and talent of the youth to ably participate in meaningful economic activities.
AYISE Executive Director, Marcel Chisi said the youth represent a significant and growing human resource with the potential to contribute positively to the country’s economic growth.
“Recognising the importance of youth to the country’s development, we thought of coming up with a platform like this multi-purpose youth centre to reach out to them with diverse programmes under one roof.
“The programmes and services are designed to empower and develop youth’s knowledge and skills for their employability. This facility is beyond sports; its different from other youth centres where young people just gather for sporting activities and off they go,” said Chisi during a media tour of the facility on Tuesday.
Services that will be offered at this centre include ICT and computer related trainings, music, youth friendly health services, career guidance, library and resource centre, business and entrepreneurship trainings while conventional vocational trainings include carpentry, welding, painting and craft and arts, among others.
“We wanted to create a safe, productive, and healthy environment. It’s like a one-stop-centre for all youth-related programs in Thyolo. The falicity will be offering constructive activities like life skills, creative and culturally sound and correct sporting activities, and vocational skills training that would encourage and enable the youth to be productive members of Malawian society.
“The centre will also provide a space for youth to develop healthy relationships instead of meeting in dark, unsafe areas,” asserted Chisi.
While Mofart (Director of Planning and Development) and the District’s Sports Officer, Grey Kalampa said through the initiative, AYISE has laid a strong foundation for the district as young peoele will be taken through knowledge or skilled-based economic activities.
Mwambo further said with the facility’s diversity, young people in the district will be able to identify and pursue their goals and become productive to the country.
“This will certainly encourage and enable young people to understand and maximize their potential in social, economic, and technological issues to responsible citizens of their communities,”said Mwambo.
Thyolo Active Youth Organization (TAYO) has been entrusted with duty of operationalizing the facility.
AYISE, established in 1995, is a Malawian non-partisan, non-religious non-governmental organization based in Bangwe, Blantyre.
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