Youths in Mzimba hail N'zatonse Project for enhancing livelihood

Youths around Champhira in Mzimba South have hailed N'zatonse Project for bringing light to them through disseminating information on matters of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR).

The project which is implemented under CCAP Synod of Livingstonia's Health Department and Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) has been empowering youths in the northern districts of Mzimba and Rumphi with vocational skills as well information regarding their sexual and reproductive rights since 2014 with a primary role to promote open discussion around the said rights.

Speaking during a week-long media tour that started on Monday, Champhira Resource Centre Manager, McCloud Banda, appreciated the benefits and skills the youths in the area have gained from the project.

He said before the project was implemented in the area, youths were lagging behind in terms of awareness and access to sexual reproductive health services, but not anymore, thanks to the project.

“N'zatonse Project is doing a very good job for it has given us a building, serving as a centre and it is a comfortable building. The project has also given us access to education and family planning and health services. So, N'zatonse Project has changed our lives unlike in the past when people did not know where and how to access sexual and reproductive health services,” said Banda.

While concurring with Banda, District Youth Officer (DYO) for Mmbelwa District Council, Chigonjetso Chilomo, said N'zatonse Project has not only empowered the youths and communities with a huge amount of information regarding their human rights, but it has given them resources as well.

Chiromo said: “First of all, where we are at Champhira, you can see the structure which is one of the products that has been brought by this project, N'zatonse. Number two, information concerning sexual and reproductive health rights has been disseminated and is still being disseminated amongst the youths.

"And again, it has also facilitated the formation of youth groups in the district. We had very few youth groups in the T/As where N'zatonse Project is being implemented, but when this project was introduced, it facilitated the formation of youth groups. As you are all aware that as a district youth office, we work through these structures."

With funds from KfW Bank of Germany through Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Dan Church Aid (DCA), phase IV of N'zatonse Project is being implemented in Mzimba, Rumphi, Ntchisi, Ntcheu, and Blantyre districts and it spans for three years; from March 2021 to 31st August 2023.