Space4Youth - Youth Wave-Trocaire-Irish Aid

Space4Youth: Investing in Youth Leadership

August 9, 2021NewsBy Youth Wave0 comment

Malawi has over 220 youth organisations that are affiliated to the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM). Among these are Youth-Led Organizations (YLOs) who face unique barriers with regards to technical capacity and funding opportunities.

Despite this, YLOs are some of the most innovative, passionate, energetic and impactful entities in both Social justice movements and alternative livelihoods programming around the country and they are overcoming the aforementioned barriers.

Research indicates that youth-led organisations face a variety of issues when fundraising, which range from lack of sufficient staff or volunteer capacity, limited knowledge about the donor landscape and working in contexts or on topics where funding is limited.

To change this narrative, Youth Wave, a youth led NGO, produced a report “What Youth Want” where key recommendations were given to partners on empowering youth-led organisations to land more equitable partnerships and ultimately, greater results for partners in achieving the change they wish to see in the world

Change starts with you(th) and this why Youth Wave in collaboration with Trōcaire Malawi intends brought youth and development partners together under Space4Youth with an aim of building interest in partnerships between the donor community and youth led organisations by capitalizing on their skills, expertise and collective power of youth.

The event brought different stakeholders together including government, development partners, the private sector and youth-led organisations from across the country.

Dowlnload Report
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Announcing Changemakers Programme 2021!

April 1, 2021NewsBy Youth Wave0 comment

We are thrilled to announce the new cohort of our signature leadership programme, Youth Wave Changemakers Programme (https://youthwavemalawi.org/changemakers-programme/)

Having received hundreds of applicants, we have selected the crème de la crème of youth leaders with track record of leadership and proven community footprints in their respective districts. The Changemakers will develop skills and acquire crucial knowledge that will improve the quality and amplitude of their impact for the next 6-12 months.

This is a unique opportunity for these talented young leaders to inspire fellow youths and create a significant positive impact in their communities and beyond.

Congratulations!

 

Download the list of selected changemakers here

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#AGEC2021 Communique

THE AFRICA GENDER EQUALITY CONFERENCE 2021

March 23, 2021NewsBy Youth Wave0 comment

Partners,

We are excited to share with you all the Declaration that came out of the first Africa Gender Equality Conference 2021, which was held in Malawi from 8 to 10 March.

The call to action is in line with the conference themes of women’s leadership, investing in women for equitable growth, new pathways to end violence against women and girls (though the access to justice issue is not mentioned) and particularly calls on traditional, religious and political leaders to use their voice and platforms to influence and speak out.

  • All in all, a good advocacy document.  Download it here and please share further as relevant.

To read more on the conference: http://www.ageconf.org/

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10+ Her Period Her Pride: A Campaign by Peter Mndalasini

February 22, 2021NewsBy Youth Wave0 comment

It has been a month since I started implementing a project called “10+ Her Period Her Pride” as a Women Deliver young leader for the class of 2020. About 40 girls in Lilongwe district have been trained on how to make reusable sanitary pads.

 Although the project is intended to reach about 300 girls, but what about the rest of the girls who will not be able to access the training workshops due to the limited financial resources at my disposal? The project’s proposed ripple effect works by enabling the trainees under this project to train many other girls within  their communities.

But again, what about the other girls who are also struggling to access menstrual hygiene products (sanitary pads) in other districts across Malawi?

This is why the project is advocating for improved access to sanitary pads among primary and secondary school girls.

 No girl should miss classes due to lack of sanitary pads.

 As a young leader, I have done my part and I am calling upon the Government of Malawi to allocate adequate resources towards menstrual hygiene in primary and secondary schools. For instance, removing tax on sanitary products would go a long way towards achieving this goal.

Girls should not fail to enjoy their rights to equality, health and education due to menstruation.

I feel that there is need for some innovative thinking in striving to achieve this. For instance, the Ministry of Education should include the making of sanitary pads within the school curricula.

Education is the most powerful tool which we can use to improve access to sanitary pads among school girls, thereby contributing to ending period poverty in Malawi.

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Facing the Future with Hope

February 8, 2021NewsBy Charity Mbekeani0 comment

For an organism that can only be seen under a microscope, the coronavirus has caused havoc and unease amongst Malawians. People have been bound to their homes and others to smaller spaces as we are encouraged to keep social distance to avoid rapid spread of the virus. Businesses have been closed and jobs have been lost, making young people hopeless. The pandemic has significantly disrupted the education, socialization, and mental health of adolescents and youth.

As people think of ways to survive amidst the pandemic, thoughts and stress overcome their minds. The first wave of the novel coronavirus saw a rise in the number of suicide cases across the world and this second wave has greater effects on the economy and its people. In a country where there are limited opportunities for young people, drug and alcohol abuse becomes an option. In Malawi, the mental health situation is worsening by the day. The high stigmatization levels add on to the frustrations of individuals. Furthermore, there are no psychologists in public health hospitals and mental health appears to be an afterthought in our hospitals.

Facing the future with hope means making huge strides in creating a global youth village where young people fulfil their potential. For this to happen, it is important to encourage one another to speak out , raise awareness, create safe spaces for peer to peer support and building capacity of young people as first aiders for prevention and referral services. This is the game changer in avoiding the worst case scenario, suicide.

 

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