Why not partner youth for a better Malawi?
Malawi, with a population of 13 million (2008 Population and Housing Census) and growing at 2.8 percent, has one of the highest population growth in Africa. The main determinate of the growth rate is the high fertility rate with a stubbornly high total fertility of 5.7. The main characteristics of the population is its youthfulness; there are 10 million young people in Malawi and has the highest adolescent fertility rate in the sub-Saharan region; 193 births per 1 000 girls aged 15-19 years. Meeting the reproductive health needs of our youth is one important strategy to help them reach their full potential to develop a larger and younger workforce to drive economic development, in achieving national development goals and managing development in Malawi.
The youth bulge is an opportunity for investment through inclusive and meaningful youth participation in development can help gain entry into target communities and build up trust and social capital, prevent and reduce vulnerabilities to economic, political and socially unstable environments, strengthen young people’s abilities to meet their own subsistence needs. Young people are assets: this is twofold; (a) recognising that young people have assets and not simply viewing them as lacking capabilities, (b) recognising that young people collectively can be an asset to development at all levels. If Malawi learns to involve youth in meaningful activities that builds cohesion and embeds them within communities, reduces youth vulnerabilities and youth led conflicts as youth are innovative in finding new and alternatives solutions and in gathering resources to address problems.
Exercise of citizenship—engaging youth in democracy, development and peace building enables them to make claims and holding governments and donor agencies accountable. This also makes policies and services appropriate for youths. Youths are frequent on the position needing to claim their rights the most, but enjoy very little. Human rights must be extended beyond the strictly political and legal into economic and social dimensions. The youth have a right to voice their issues, press for development concerns and demand successful transition from adolescence to adulthood and sustainable livelihoods. In Malawi, youths operate at the margins of society and are excluded from mainstream aspects of life; they are socially excluded.
Youth is an excluded category with culture at times multiplying the inequalities that young women face such as early marriages and limited education opportunities. The youth policy highlights; rural youth, female youth, youth with disabilities, deviant youth, street kids as priorities but how many interventions include them? How much money is allocated to them? Can you recall a time when parliamentarians and the National Assembly ever discussed their youth agenda comprehensively? If 10 million of Malawi’ population is youth then why does the youth sector and youth response not get priority in national allocations? Working with youth will not only help Malawi manage development but also promote equity and social justice. We all have a role in shaping and building a better nation by partnering with youth.
Why not start with your community? Why not direct CDF, LDF funds to build a youth skills centers? Why should we allow 50% of our girls to get marriage before their 18th birthday? Why not support the implementation of the revised youth policy to champion and safeguard the rights and responsibilities of young people? Why not take a stand today and join hands with young people today? Mwana wa nzako ndiwako yemwe, ukachenjela manja udyanaye. Who do you see when you walk down the street, in church, at work, in your homes—“YOUNG PEOPLE”. Not responding to their needs and including them in governance structures is stabbing mother Malawi in the back. The time is now to create safe spaces and platform for our youth—let us hear them when they speak, let us support, recognise and award the great contributions young people are making every day.n The author is a youth development and sexual reproductive health practitioner, passionate female youth leader and youth worker.
