Youth representation in local institutions poor, says NGO
Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (Cepa) has said youth representation is low in decision-making institutions at grassroots level.
Cepa project officer Tiwonge Chirwa said they discovered the low youth representation through their My Life My Choice project, which empowers youths to be involved in decision-making processes at local level in the district.
Speaking in Dowa during a youth motivational talk, Chirwa said lack of youth involvement was high in area development committees (ADCs) and villages development committees (ADCs).
decision-making processes
“These are key institutions that initiate development at grassroots level. Sadly, though, there are few youths in influential roles,” she said.
Chirwa said, among others, it was shocking that some youths fail to raise school fees when there are income generating opportunities in their areas.
“For example, the majority of people in Public Works Programme in the district are older people. But these are things youths can do if given a platform,” she said.
One participant, Lucia Kanjiwa, a student at the Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi, urged government to formulate an inclusive policy to accommodate youths. n
