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- Community-Led Organization in Nsanje District Trains Youth in Construction Skills to Address Unemployment and Win Government Contracts
Community-Led Organization in Nsanje District Trains Youth in Construction Skills to Address Unemployment and Win Government Contracts
Another youth member, Star Malizani trained as an electrician, said he has done electrical work in countless houses in Nsanje and Chikwawa districts.
Malawi: The Bangula Vocation Group (BVG), a community-led organization in Nsanje District, is addressing the problem of unemployment by training young people in various construction skills to help them become economically independent, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
The 23-member group comprises youth with skills such as builders, carpenters, electricians, painters, plumbers and welders among others, whose vision is to receive recognition from the government so that they can win government construction contracts.
Phillip Samson, trained with the organization as a carpenter, says since he received the training, he has been able to work on over 12 houses apart from making various furniture thereby perfecting his art.
Another youth member, Star Malizani trained as an electrician, said he has done electrical work in countless houses in Nsanje and Chikwawa districts.
He added that besides doing electrical installation works on some lodges around Bangula Trading Centre and the Bible School in Nsanje, Malizani has also trained two colleagues who had an ambition of becoming an electrician.
Anthony Ngundumu another member who is a painter said he cannot remember the number of houses, schools and lodges he had painted in his career.
He disclosed to Africabrief that he has worked on institutions such as Bangula Secondary School, Hope Lodge, Hope Dream Secondary School, offices for Nsanje District Council and Concern World Wide.
Maxwell Vinti has trained as a builder and he confided to Africabrief that he has built hundreds of houses in Nsanje, Chikwawa and has gone as far as Mozambique where he got well-paying contracts.
A spokesperson for the group, Alfred Mchawa who is a roofing carpenter says besides the individual successes that most of the members have registered, BVG is yet to make meaningful success in achieving its ambition because it is not yet a registered entity.
An expert in the Construction Industry, Joel Chingani has hailed the group for coming up with the initiative and has urged the youth to have their organization registered with the National Construction Industry Council-NCIC for proper recognition. He said the NCIC regulates, develops and promotes the construction industry in the country.
Chingani also advised the members that as a youthful organization, they have to register with other groups such as the Association of Indigenous contractors.