Africa-Press – Malawi. President Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday July 19,2022 successfully launched the National Youth Service (NYS) program at Chikonde Primary School Ground in Neno District.
The program which formed part of Tonse Alliance campaign promises both in 2019 and 2020 offers a multi-pronged approach to offer profitable ventures to the country’s young people through vocational training and capitalization of respective trades of choice.
It is expected to train thousands of unemployed youth with marketable skills and connect them to opportunities for productive and profitable work. The initiative will empower youth nationwide through various training options such as crop, livestock, fish and poultry farming, Information, Communications and Technology (ICT), carpentry, welding, tailoring and renewable technologies.
The program is also said to have been tailored according to particular localities where young people are given freedom to choose trades that align with their needs, competences and favourable geographical and climate practicalities. Speaking after the program launch, Chakwera said it is his commitment to see NYC achieve its purpose.
He said to make this happen, he has linked it to the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) and Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Training Authority (TEVETA) as these two will create the right synergies for the growth and sustenance of the program.
Chakwera emphasized on the need for immediate interventions to address challenges experienced in the country to COVID-19 and climate change. He said” National Youth Service is not a new concept to the country as it was introduced by Former President Joyce Banda.
“My government decided to bring it back looking at the benefits derived from from the previous program.
” Youths should not only used as campaign tools, but rather be trained into skilled workforce that will benefit themselves and the country as whole.”
Speaking earlier, Minister of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda hailed Chakwera for fulfilling one of his campaign promises which was youth empowerment.
“Your Excellency many thought that the youth empowerment promise was just a gimmick to woo voters from the youth but here we are launching it three years to another election.
“Had it been that you wanted this promise to woo voters from the youth then this launch could have been reserved to 2024 with just months to go before another election.
“But by having this initiative launched today it shows that you really have the werfare of the country’s youths at heart,” said Banda.
Currently, the Government has set aside K3 billion for the program that will see 20,000 youths who are expected to serve a one year National Youth Service benefiting, this year through development of skills whose training will vary between three to six months, according to their capabilities.
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