MALAWI: ECM encourages female youth to venture into technical education
The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) – Catholic Development Commission of Malawi (CADECOM) has trained Chiefs and religious leaders on how to sensitize the young people on the importance of technical education for personal, community and national development.
The Commission conducted the training as a requirement by the European Union (EU) funded project called Hope for Youths in five Catholic Technical Colleges of Namitete, Andiamo, Namitembo, Thondwe village polytechnic and Mitengo which are the implementing centers of Hope for Youths project from which eighteen community mobile technical colleges are to be established.
Speaking during the official opening of the training at Namitete technical college, the Director of Social Development of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi Carsterns Mulume asked the chiefs and religious leaders to help in identifying suitable youths to benefit from the project, calling for a change of mentality in which he encouraged female youths to take up jobs that are perceived to be for men.
“The mentality has been that technical education which includes carpentry and joinery, plumbing and electrical installation is for men only. We should change this mindset in our female youths and help them believe they too can do such work. We should also change the mindset that technical education is not profitable by encouraging it to be taken as business.
Mulume also said that, youths living with disabilities should be helped to realize that there is always something they can do because white color jobs are limited these days revealing that, other countries like China and India are developed because of such trainings.
Speaking at the same function, Hope for Youths Projects Officer Cresensia Kamsale said, the project aims at strengthening and increasing access to informal and formal Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) facilities and systems to female and vulnerable groups.
“This will be achieved by improving equitable access to relevant quality vocational education and skills training, strengthening capacities and infrastructures or linkages of the five vocational training colleges to deliver relevant and quality TEVET training and supportive skills to meet the labour demands and vulnerable students in the target areas should complete their vocational education and secure employment or self-employment,” she said.
Hope for Youths project is intended to enhance access and equity to skills development education through informal training which will increase the TEVET sector in Malawi.
The chiefs who thanked different partners in the project while committing their total support to the youth project, received the initiative with joy and appreciation considering that it will help those who cannot afford formal technical education.
Hope for Youths project is being implemented for three years by CADECOM with funding amounting to 1,092,303 Euros from European Union (EU) through Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF).
By: Stella Zulu
