Mutharika dares the youth on poverty
Amid declining conditions of living across the country and biting economic realities, President Peter Mutharika on yesterday delivered an impassioned plea to the country’s youths to continue carrying the message of hope for Malawians.
Speaking at the first-ever national youth conference and the launch of the National Youth Status Report organised by the UN in collaboration with government at Bingu International Conference Centre (Bicc) in Lilongwe, Mutharika challenged the youth not to fall for the message of hopelessness, saying despite the scourge of poverty, Malawi could still wake up from its slumber, arguing “we are not inferior” intellectually to other nations.
He also challenged the youth in the country to be more patriotic and have a high sense of integrity and hard working if the country is to win the battle against poverty.
“Our God did not create us lesser than, or inferior to those great nations that we know,” he said.
He, however, promised the youth in the country that government will address all policy gaps related to youth issues, and that the new Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III, which will be formulated this year, will clearly articulate issues of youth empowerment and participation.
The President has, however, made a decree to all ministries and departments that all policies should be youth-friendly.
Said Mutharika: “The youth are an economic force to reckon with. In any political calculus, they are a political force that cannot be ignored, that is how much they matter to this country, and that is how much I count on them”.
On her part, UN country representative Mia Seppo said the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III which will be formulated this year clearly articulates issues of youth empowerment and participation will be a milestone in as far as the voice of youths in Malawi is concerned.
The theme for the conference is: “Youth Development and Empowerment: Key to transforming Malawi now and beyond.”
