Activists behind Youth Decide Campaign have urged people vying for public offices in the May 21 Tripartite Elections to increase the youth’s chances in life by investing in quality education, job creation and agribusiness.
Campaign coordinator Dalitso Mageregere said this in Rumphi during a meeting organised to disseminate the National Youth Manifesto made after nationwide consultation.
He asked government to work closely with the private sector and civil society in creating an enabling environment for the youth.
Mageregere explained: “The quality of education has dwindled and the youth need qualified teachers, adequate teaching and learning materials as well as a safe learning environment to acquire decent education.
Besides, government should also introduce an adult education programme for out-of-school young Malawians to acquire a minimum of secondary school education.”
Mageregere said provision of farm equipment and machinery will attract the youth to embrace agriculture as business in a push to reduce the country’s massive youth unemployment.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that about a quarter of the country’s employable youthful citizens are searching for jobs, but they cannot find any.
Kanyerere Youth Organisation director Jai Kanyondo described the non-partisan manifesto as a stepping stone for effective development of young people, who constitute the majority of the country’s population.
His organisation has partnered with Youth and Society (YAS) in the campaign to put the aspirations of the youth at the centre of next week’s polls.
