PAST Project calls youth for mindset change on vocational skills development
A group of beneficiaries who attended a vocational skills development for Pathways for Successful Transition (PAST) project in Mzimba District have been urged to embrace mindset change to focus on creating jobs than waiting to be employed.
The project implemented by Save the Children in partnership with Creative Center for Community Mobilisation (CRECCOM) and Technical Entrepreneurial Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA), funded by Malawi government through Financial Access for Rural Markets, Smallholder and Enterprise (FARMSE) is aimed at graduating ultra-poor households especially women headed, youth, transition and sustain them into resilient livelihoods.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Director of Administration at Mbelwa District, Steve Chima said it is high time youth have to embark on mindset change through the acquired skills from the project.
“Time has come for youths to be patriotic. Youths must do it. They should not always dream about getting white collar job but they have to use the opportunities to establish businesses and packs to embrace entrepreneurship. They need to be self-reliant,” Chima said.
According to TEVETA Acting Executive Director Modesto Sylvester Gomani youth have to move from poverty to a sustainable livelihood.
“Youth are the sectors that we can use in as far as development of the country is concerned. Most o the youth do not have the capacity to do anything, it is only through the skills development embarked which will employ them to start looking at themselves as capable youths that can drive themselves out of poverty and at the same contribute to national economic development.
“Much as we have implemented this project, we have seen that these youths will need a start up capital as well as starting businesses,” Gomani said.
On his part, PAST Project Manager, Bernard Kambeja showed satisfactory of the project and convinced that they will be to invest in their businesses.
The project started in 2019 and is expected to end in June, 2022, is being implemented in all ten TA’s in Mzimba namely Mzukuzuku, Mzikubola, Khosolo, Kampingo Sibande, Mabilambo, Chindi, and others which targets to graduate 4,220 ultra-poor households (45 percent women, 20 percent youth, and 35 percent others).
