Africa-Press – Malawi. Some youths in Mzimba have appealed to Minister of State Alfred Gangata, recently assigned by President Peter Mutharika to oversee youth affairs, to ensure that young people living in remote areas are not excluded from government programs.
Mzimba Youth Organization (MYO) Executive Director Moses Nkhan stated that most youth development programs in recent years have primarily benefited those residing in urban areas, leaving rural youth behind.
“During former President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration, most youth engagements involved young people from urban areas. We are hopeful that under this new administration, and with Minister Gangata’s leadership, all youth across the country will be included in various programs through the District Youth Offices,” said Nkhana.
Programs Manager for the Mzimba Institute for Development Communication Trust (MIDCT), Justice Nantchengwa, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the need for increased financial support at the district level.
“If District Youth Offices are adequately funded, even youth in remote villages will have access to different development activities,” said Nantchengwa.
Currently, funding for District Youth Offices (DYOs) stands at K14 million per year, translating to about K1.2 million per month an amount the organizations describe as far from sufficient to support youth programs, outreach, and operational needs.
Random interviews conducted by Malawi24 with young people across the country revealed growing calls to increase the annual allocation to K65 million.
According to the proposed breakdown, K9 million would go toward office operations and maintenance, K35 million for fieldwork and monitoring, and K21 million for program implementation.
Youth leaders argue that such an increase would enable District Youth Offices to reach more young people with empowerment initiatives, entrepreneurship training, and community development projects especially in hard-to-reach areas.
“We want to see genuine inclusivity, where every young person, regardless of where they live, can benefit from government programs,” added Nkhana.
The appeal comes as the new administration begins rolling out its youth empowerment agenda, aimed at creating opportunities and tackling unemployment among Malawi’s young population.
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