Youth Champions from the Kuyenda Collective participated in the 2024 National Youth Summit, organised by the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM). The Summit was held from Monday, November 11 and ended on Wednesday, November 13 at the Bingu International Convention Centre.
Graced by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire, the summit brought together over 500 young leaders, cabinet ministers, members of parliament and key stakeholders. As the largest youth gathering in Malawi, the event provided a platform to deliberate on critical issues affecting the nation’s youth, including access to education, curriculum relevance, and broader challenges facing the education sector in Malawi.
Under the theme “a renewed commitment to youth development towards Malawi 2063” the summit featured four Youth Champions from the Kuyenda Collective: Eric Banda and Linda Symon from Nkhatabay and Joseph Chimbatata and Rashida Kaluphira from Nkhotakota. These champions shared their experiences, perspectives, and passion for improving the quality of education in the country.
Youth Champions’ Key Messages and Reflections from the Summit
During the three-day event, the Youth Champions actively contributed to discussions, putting forward the following key messages:
- Youth empowerment: The youth need to be empowered and provided with the skills and knowledge to expand their choices and be involved in different activities and be able to be employed.
- Curriculum Relevance:Advocating for a flexible curriculum that meets the needs of 21st-century youth and supports the realization of Malawi 2063 goals.
- Self-belief: Encouraging young people to overcome structural biases and remain persistent in their efforts to influence change. Young people should be motivated to keep pushing and not be dissuaded in their efforts to be heard.
Reflecting on the summit, Eric Banda said: “The summit has been quite educational and inspiring as we have been able to amplify our perspectives and thoughts on issues that also resonate to some of the gaps that were identified within the Kuyenda User Experience Research. These include issues to do with pupil-teacher ratio, lack of proper teaching and learning materials but also most importantly we had an opportunity to amplify our voice on the relevance of the national curriculum to us as youths of Malawi.”
He added: “As young leaders, we are also happy since having met duty bearers at the summit, we believe our voices which couldn’t have been heard will be taken on board as we had the Minister of Youth and other members of parliament present.” The importance of young people engaging directly with governments was also underlined by Eric: “Having young people engage directly with policy makers breaks the narrative that young people are only meant to be invited to big conferences to give speeches or only to take a picture”.
Another Youth Champion, Linda Symon, highlighted the importance of youth participation in decision-making processes. “We need to be at the table, contributing our ideas and perspectives to ensure inclusive and effective policies that place youths at the center of Malawi development agenda toward 2063.”
Key Takeaways
The Kuyenda Collective Youth Champions actively engaged in summit discussions, focusing on critical areas, including:
1. Access, quality and Relevance of the curriculum
2. Youth employment
3. Digital transformation for Youth Empowerment
4. Leadership and Advocacy for Youth Development
Through interactive sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, the Youth Champions gained valuable insights and connections to further their work. The summit provided a rare opportunity for the Kuyenda Youths to influence policy and address the learning crisis affecting rural youth in Malawi.
Youth in Focus
National statistics show that over half of Malawi’s population is below the age of 18, and 73% are under 35 years old, with the majority residing in rural areas. These demographics underline the importance of initiatives like the National Youth Summit, which amplify youth voices and foster meaningful dialogue with decision-makers.
By the end of the summit, the Kuyenda Collective Youth Champions had not only shared their insights but also solidified their commitment to advocating for improved education and youth empowerment in Malawi.