By Moses Nyirenda:
Lilongwe based youth led organization, ACADES Malawi said with support from Agricultural Commercialization (AGCOM) project, was committed to creating more job opportunities for the youth, as one way of helping in reducing unemployment rate among young people in the country.
Speaking on Thursday after some officials from World Bank and Ministry of Agriculture toured ACADES Malawi offices in Lilongwe, ACADES Malawi Co-founder, Madalitso Chipekwe said that her organization was concerned with the high number of unemployed youths in the country.
“We have a lot of young people that have graduated from various universities and colleges but they are failing to get employed, hence as an organization with support from AGCOM we have the commitment in employing more of these youth,” Chipekwe said.
She added that currently they have employed over 3,000 young people countrywide who are among others working in the production of legume seeds including soya beans which are sold to farmers in the country.
Chipekwe said that, with support from AGCOM project they are empowering youthful farmers in rural areas with modern farming skills.
With funding from World Bank, AGCOM project was started in the year 2017 to help in enhancing agri-business in the country and the project is expected to phase out in the year 2023.
World Bank Country Director, Mara Warwick said that as World Bank they are impressed with how ACADES Malawi has benefited from AGCOM project.
“At ACADES we have seen that so many young people are working together with passion in creating jobs for themselves and also making sure that they are developing their own business, we are so impressed to see young people doing that,” she said.
The Country Director said that with her observation on how AGCOM project is impacting peoples lives in the country including youth and farmers, World Bank would support the continuation of the project after phasing out in the year 2023.
Secretary for Agriculture, Sandram Mawelu commended World Bank for supporting AGCOM project.
“We have made a lot of progress in supporting farmers and youth in various parts of the country, we are confident that if we will have second phase of the project the lives of many Malawians would be transformed,” he said.
