Youth Ready unlocks opportunities for Alinet

Twenty-one-year-old Alinet Chalunda has been idle since she completed her secondary education at Tchawale Community Day Secondary School in 2021.

She lacked means through which she could unlock her economic opportunities. It was until she was introduced to Youth Ready Project in her community that she saw the direction to her bright future.

Youth Ready is a literacy and life skills initiative championed by World Vision Malawi. It is aimed at increasing economic opportunities among in and out-of-school youths and the vulnerable under Kasangazi Area Program in Dowa.

Alinet says at first she was pessimistic about achieving something tangible in life until she joined Mafosha Youth Ready Club in her area.

"After attending a series of trainings at the youth club, I started making some savings and eventually I opened up a tea-room," she says.

With proceeds from the tea room shop, Alinet bought pigs and also subleased a garden where she has grown maize.

Among other things, the Youth Ready project seeks to enhance capacity of Youths, education network and community structures in organic farming.

"With the training I had attended on organic farming, I am not even worried of cultivating on a large scale as I have already prepared manure for the garden," she says.

Alinet, who has two brothers in secondary school, says she is able to support them with school needs.

"I am assisting our parents in paying the school fees, buying school materials and pocket money for my siblings. I wish to see them pass their examinations so that they become self-reliant in future,"  Alinet says.

One of Alinet's brother, Rodwell, says his school life has transformed tremendously following the involvement of his sister into the Youth Ready project.

"At first, we only relied on parents for everything, including fees and pocket money. Oftentimes, what our parents gave us was inadequate, but ever since World Vision intervened, there has been great improvement,” he says.

Alinet thanks World Vision for equipping her with various skills on financial management, organic farming and others, saying they increased her chances for employment and income generation.

World Vision Malawi's development facilitator for Kasangazi Area Program Carolyn Lumbalu says she is impressed that communities in the impact area have cultivated a sense of ownership and have embraced the project.

"The number of children dropping out of school has reduced and community members, especially the youth are now able to acquire their own assets," she says.

Lumbalu says she is impressed that children in the area are now accessing quality education as opposed to the past when cases of school dropouts were everywhere because parents did not support their children’s education adequately.