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Youth Voice Organization Empowers Young People in Mangochi with Life-Changing Messages
YVO, a non-governmental organization, is creating positive changes in the lives of young people in Mangochi, a district in the eastern region of Malawi, writes Mustafa Makumba.
Mangochi, Malawi - Youth Voice Organization (YVO), a non-governmental organization, is creating positive changes in the lives of young people in Mangochi, a district in the eastern region of Malawi, writes Mustafa Makumba.
Established in 2021, YVO aims to create awareness about sexual and reproductive health rights, gender-based violence, and youth economic empowerment among young people in the district.
Before the establishment of YVO, many young people in the district were unable to access sexual and reproductive health services due to poor knowledge and neglect of matters concerning sexual reproduction.
The organization has partnered with influential personalities in various fields to reach out to the youth through traditional leaders and the elderly.
Baird Sonjera, the executive director of YVO, explained the importance of empowering young people with knowledge of sexual and reproductive health.
"Due to a lack of knowledge and neglect on matters of sexual reproduction, early pregnancies are rampant, which leads many youths to contract HIV and eventually drop out of school. So, we are empowering them with messages so that they can make informed decisions about their health," he said.
Senior Chief Jalasi from the district attests to the fact that many young people in his area are benefiting from the life-changing messages.
The traditional leader revealed that the number of young people who were just loitering around the area, causing havoc, has drastically reduced as many of them have changed their behaviours and are doing something better with their time.
YVO events are well-attended by youths due to motivational talks and messages. Besides, the organization reaches out to youth-friendly clubs established in some hospitals across the district.
Many young people have benefited from the program, such as 24-year-old Maryam Saidi, who returned to school after getting pregnant and dropping out.
She credits YVO's motivational and career talks for changing her mindset.
Zakaliya Issah, a YVO change agent based in Jalasi, appreciates the initiative as it has helped him learn more about safe motherhood and how to address gender-based violence in his community.
"Most victims of GBV are encouraged to report to relevant authorities, and we also train them on how to defend themselves from the vice," said Issah.
The YVO program has also helped young people learn more about economic empowerment.
Hamza Jafar of Mwananyambi says he learned a lot about how to carry out a small-scale business. He is now considered a role model in his community, and many young people come to him for advice.
However, like any other rural-based project, the YVO youth empowerment program is facing funding challenges.
The organization is not fully registered with the Council for Non-Governmental Organizations in Malawi (CONGOMA) and the Government Registry, making it difficult to access larger grants.
"Our funding is crippled, and this limits our operations. The licenses that help us access big grants are not affordable to smaller organizations like ours, thus constraining our work," said Sonjera.
Despite the challenges, YVO remains committed to empowering young people in Mangochi and calls upon well-wishers to fund their projects to help achieve their vision of creating a productive youth with a vision.