Neno youths embark on disaster interventions

Youths in Neno have teamed up to implement interventions to mitigate the impact of disasters in the district.

Speaking on Thursday  during a learning visit at Nsawedza Primary School organised by Save the Children, Nsawedza Youth Organisation director Lawrence Martin said they train learners through child disaster youth clubs on how to mitigate the risks of disasters in their communities.

He said the interventions include planting trees and producing briquettes as an alternative to charcoal.

“We use locally available materials to make briquettes. However,intermittent power blackouts have affected us from reaching many learners with the skills,” said Martin.

Ministry of Health deputy director of curative and medical rehabilitation directorate Dorothy Chinguwo said she was impressed with interventions to mitigate challenges caused by climate change.

“If disasters strike, people’s health will be affected. So, this tour is a wake-up call to collaborate as a country to conserve the environment,” she said.

Neno district education manager Sonnex Likharuwe thanked Save the Children and Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian for organising the tour.

“The tour has offered an opportunity for the district to demonstrate interventions that seek to mitigate the effects of climate change,” he said.

Nsawedza Primary disaster club chairperson Felister Chimasula said they are protecting the environment through planting trees and producing briquettes.

Save the Children team leader Kenneth Wala said through its Norad Framework Agreement Programme, they are implementing a Securing Children’s Rights through Education and Protection Project in the district to strengthen civil society in Malawi to demand quality education with a focus on learning outcomes, inclusion, protection from child marriages and teenage pregnancies and access to sexual and reproductive health rights.