M'mbelwa District Council in Malawi has called on organisations, institutions and companies in Mzimba District to engage youths with vocational skills when implementing projects.

M'mbelwa District Council Director of Planning and Development, Walter Chikuni, made the call on Thursday at Luwerezi, in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mabilabo in Mzimba District during a graduation of 84 young people who have completed trainings in different vocational and technical skills education in carpentry, tailoring and fashion design, welding, fabrication and bricklaying.

Chikuni said the Livingstonia Synod Aids Programme’s (LISAP) Girls Not a Bride Project facilitated the training under its vocational skills component in partnership with the Technical, Entrepreneurship and Vocational Education Training Authority (TEVETA).

We are graduating many youths in Mzimba District in vocational skills education. If a construction company is contracted to build a school block here at Luwerezi, let them involve the youth with such technical skills. We do not want them to import skills into the district when we already have capable young people.

LISAP Executive Director, Jonathan Vumu, said they targeted vulnerable young people with the training.

This is our first cohort to graduate from T/A Mabilabo under the project, but we are continuing to train more youths.

One trainee, a 19 year old, Patricia Kapunda, said she is now a certified tailor and she will use the skills acquired to set up her own tailoring shop at Luwerezi Trading Centre.

Apart from certificates, the group has also received start up tools from LISAP which receives funding for the project from Norwegian Broadcasting Corperation through Plan Malawi.