National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Public Trust has challenged Malawians to desire to leave behind an empowered future generation by investing in youth and women.
Kasungu NICE District Civic Education Officer (DCEO) Pilirani Chaguza stated that resilience building and planning cannot be sustainable if the current generation does not invest in the youth and women.
Chaguza made the sentiments during a series of awareness raising and sensitization interventions he conducted using a public address (PA) system mounted on top of his care outside his office at Kasungu Boma.
NICE is championing the adoption and embracement of mindset change as an enabler for the Malawi 2063 (MW2063).
However, the Kasungu DCEO challenged that Malawi cannot in anything unless the current generation empowers the youth and women to actively participate in the solutions.
“If you want to leave behind a better and more advanced Malawi, then you must invest in future generations. Malawi has lagged behind in almost everything in terms of development. This is mostly become the preceding generations didn’t invest in the future. It should therefore inspire you to think about what we need to do to contribute to national efforts to leave a better and more developed Malawi than the country is today,” he said.
Chaguza also urged parents and community leaders to give youth and women a chance to decide how best to address their most urgent and future needs.
“Let their voices be heard,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NICE Acting Executive Director, Gray Kalindekafe, stressed that Malawi needs to implement a series of policies and strategies that address the root causes of its underdevelopment and leverage its comparative advantages and opportunities if it is to achieve MW2063.
Kalindekafe highlighted the need to enhance agricultural productivity and commercialization by improving access to inputs, markets, credit, extension services, irrigation, and mechanization; promoting crop diversification and value addition; strengthening linkages with the manufacturing sector; and ensuring food security and nutrition for all.
“Malawi needs to promote industrialization by developing a competitive and diversified manufacturing sector that produces high-value goods for domestic and export markets; fostering innovation and technology transfer; creating an enabling environment for private sector investment and entrepreneurship; and building skills and capacities for industrial development,” he said.
Kalindekafe also called for investment in human capital development by expanding access to quality education, health, water, sanitation, and social protection services for all; enhancing skills development and lifelong learning; empowering women and youth; addressing population growth and demographic dividend; and promoting cultural diversity and heritage.
