Project empowers young Malawians
By Llywellenie Mpasa
Eighty-eight youths have graduated with certificates in Agri-Business under the government’s ‘Jobs for Youth’ (J4Y) Project at Dapp Amalika in Thyolo District.
Funded by the African Development Bank through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the project has seen 46 young women and 42 men undergoing a short course in agri-business focusing on entrepreneur behavior, enterprise start-up, marketing and market survey and book keeping among others.
Chiradzulu District Youth Officer Peter Beni said the Malawi J4Y Project seeks to reduce the vulnerability of young people by creating an enabling environment for their participation in economic activities particularly in key sectors, consistent with the Malawi Development Strategy [Agenda 2063] which seeks to ensure sustainable and productive decent work for all.
“J4Y will work to strengthen both the demand and supply side of labour market systems through strategies that strengthen the employability of young people and increase their capacity to engage in entrepreneurial activities.”
“The main objective is to enhance youth involvement in the creation of small businesses by fostering an entrepreneurship culture amongst them and supporting the creation and development of youth-owned enterprises,” Beni said.
DAPP Malawi Amarika Business Incubator Manager, Mabvuto Chilenje said through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Dapp had developed an Incubation Strategy as a way of ensuring that start-up agri-businesses for the youth survive.
“The primary beneficiaries of this initiative include young people, with the aim of strengthening their economic resilience, agri-entreprenurship skills so that they may apply the knowledge and employ others,” Chilenje said.
One beneficiary of the programme, Lilongwe based prospective farmer Verah Friday, said the skills attained would help her get established in agricultural business.
