Machinga youths asked to track public expenditure
The Malawi Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Alliance has asked youths in Machinga District to track public expenditure on development projects in their areas to ensure transparency and accountability.
The alliance’s advocacy coordinator Yewo Gondwe said this on Friday at Namasika Teacher Development Centre in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kapoloma in the district during a refresher advocacy training for young advocates from T/As Kapoloma and Sale.
“You have every right to meet them [duty-bearers] and ask them what they are doing on development or any pressing issue in your areas including sexual and reproductive health issues, which are always a major concern among the youth,” said Gondwe.
She stressed that the alliance through the Power to Youth (PtY) project want to empower the youth to engage with different duty-bearers to improve access to services.
Machinga district youth officer Hope Mwafulirwa said the training was critical to the youth as it will make them agents of change.
Happy Maison, a youth advocacy chairperson from T/A Sale, pledged to work with his fellow youths to engage duty-bearers on issues that affect them.
The training was held under the PtY project being implemented in Machinga and Dedza districts as an alliance with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Sonke Gender Justice.
The alliance comprises Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education, YouthWave, Amref Health Africa, Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre and the Malawi Sexual Reproductive Health Alliance. n
