Mulanje Youth Organisation (Mulayo) executive director, Martin Nsondole, says equipping idle youth and women with practical entrepreneurial and business management skills is crucial to sustainable development of communities in Malawi.

Speaking on Friday during a two-day training of 50 youth and women at its premises and virtually in the district, Nsondole said the high unemployment rate among youth is affecting development as the majority of the population is not economically productive.

There is need to focus on businesses because we cannot let these youth and women remain idle when they can make money in other ways. We have helped them to develop business ideas and actionable plans, and how to manage small-scale ventures.

One of the youths, Sheila Tebulo, commended the organisation for the initiative that has challenged her mindset on entrepreneurship.

It is a matter of making money and I do not need huge capital. I will go back home and identify what my community needs so that I provide [for] them to make money.

Mulayo organised the training in partnership with Medgestrat Solutions.