Yoneco to construct K16m centre

Youth Net and Counselling (Yoneco) has embarked on a K16 million (about $40 000) community resource centre construction at Mapira Trading Centre, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mposa in Machinga.

The centre will be constructed with the financial support from Friends of Yoneco in Canada whose ground breaking ceremony took place in the area close to Lake Chilwa on Sunday.

Yoneco Board chairperson Professor Dixie Maluwa Banda also attended the ceremony.

Speaking during the ceremony, Yoneco executive director Mac Bain Mkandawire said when completed, the resource centre will serve the communities in various social services, including family planning.

Said Mkandawire: “We are carrying out a number of programmes in this area that are to do with HIV and Aids prevention, sexual and reproductive health, and child marriages, among other activities. Now that we are moving together with Mposa communities, they requested that we build a community resource centre where the youth can access information in a library, and other youth friendly services.”

“The Mposa communities have contributed in the molding of bricks targeting a figure of about 70 000 for the project. What we have evidenced here is a complete citizen power being stimulated to do things on their own in the wake of local governance and citizen participation.

In his remarks, senior group village head Mapira hailed the initiative and asked other organisations to emulate Yoneco’s example.

“We need to have programmes that will help sustain lives of children,” he said.