An open letter to Malawian youth

Dec 31, 2015 Top News 77
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youths malawi

It has to be a question every youth in Malawi need to ask themselves; “Where is our country going?”

In beginning to think deep and deeper over this question, we’ll begin to realise that throughout the years this country has been independent more especially during multiparty democracy, the youths have been sidelined and have been treated like second class citizens.

The problem is most of us youths have chosen to be oblivious to the struggle we are up against and we have accepted it as part of life but in reality, this is not the way it’s supposed to be.

Our leaders have been leading this nation with a foggy vision driven by their own greedy and selfish desires that have put this nation on a reverse gear.

youths malawi
Message to the youth. (File)

To me it has always looked like these leaders (Presidents, MPs, Ministers) do not consider youth in whatever plans and decisions they come up with for this country yet all the mistakes and consequences of those corrupt plans and decisions will fall on our shoulders.

I haven’t written this to give examples because it will become a book, but I am just trying to let your mind open and organize a psychological war; a battle for the minds.

How can youths contribute to the development of a country while they haven’t been equipped?

What has the government done to trim down unemployment rate and inflation? What has it done to end these continuous blackouts and water problems?

What’s there for the youth who did not make it to public colleges and can’t afford to go to a private institution?

Whole bunch of questions but one common answer in capital letters “NOTHING”.

Do you realize that these problems will haunt us and our children down if there will be no drastic solutions anytime soon?

Just food for thought: Why is maximum retirement age as high as 70 years while some youth is holding a fresh diploma/degree at home and can’t get a job?

How can unemployment rate get trimmed down with these laws in place and with no new companies coming in?

How many of us have fallen victim to this? Imagine what difference it could’ve brought if the maximum retirement age was reduced to 55 so that new blood can find workspaces?

Additionally, this country has a tough atmosphere for young entrepreneurs to excel because there’s no financial backing, training and motivation for them. What happened to youth grants? Maybe you know the answer.

Now that you understand what you’re up against, it’s up to you to rise up and take action that might bring transformation for good or you can choose to sit right there like you don’t feel pain and you don’t want change and get to witness your children going through the worst hardships than what the youth of this generation are going through.

YOUTH ARE THE ACTORS OF CHANGE. Happy New Year.

DISCLAIMER: *Views are those of the author and NOT Malawi24.

  • Frank Soko is an Entrepreneur (Financial & Tax Consultant) and a young political analyst.

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77 Comments

  3. The govt should do the following
    1. Send some individuals abroad for further studies(MA or PhD) in stratergic areas such as Irrigation, ICT, and task them with opening companies when they finish their studies. South Korea did this.
    2. Fund and improve administration of different sporting areas like athletics, netball, football, boxing. Look at athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia.
    3. Protect artists from piracy using tough laws. I tell you Entertainment industry can absorb alot of young people as it has done in RSA, Nigeria, etc

    1. You have constructive ideas brother. I’ve enjoyed thinking about these points you’ve raised.

  4. Those who are not supporting this issue, am telling you its either their parents nor uncles have been working in the government for so long and they finish school they just went straight to work no even interview but son of poor man is straggling to get a job, of course we can say it’s time now for youth to stand on our own but how,poti chithandizo chawosauka chikapezeka akuba amakhala omwe alikale pabwinowo.we need readership that knows the meaning of being a poor and the painful.

    2. Poor people aid never ever come straight to people themselves, and with cash gate history we painted our country never ever think of aid to Malawi again, so what should we do as young people, its what we need u wise people to school us

    3. Not wise,but we need young people like you to take a stand and voice out how youth in this country are suffering not because they didn’t go to school,some they went to school but they don’t have something to start with because of their family back ground they need support to push them up.(malawi needs youth with vision) not young Democrats, nchito zawo ndikuwononga!

  5. Malawian youths are being used lyk hoes for gardening vbut have nothing to benefit after vbeing used for example they are painted Yellow , Green, Blue, Orange and red vbusked in the sun kkkkk very sad!

  6. Am sorry 4 u guys, u r full of sheet, that y government is covert u to be a tail of mice. Mwandikwiyitsa kwambiri. Zitambani ndi agogo anu. Kumadya nyama za anthu. Zakukhalani.

  7. Mwandisiyira ndekha, eti? I dont want any youth kuti akuwe ndinu makape, kulibe mnyamata ku Malawi nose ndinu ti nkhalamba, ntchito yanu munaipeza. Ndiya umfiti, kuwuluka kupita kunja. Agalu achabechabe.

  9. Ya yaa yah! Differents points at a time. Guys let’s look at both sides, the yourth and the gorvn. Tikamati boma ndi anthu and achinyamatafe ndiye bomalo. Look at these foreighn people based in MW most of them they’re well dors. Anthuwatu amabwera osaka ndipo akulemela ife tikuona. They don’t wait for there gov to do for them. Tiyeni achinyata tidzidalile patokha even if the Malawi leadership does nothing to the youth. Ife achinyamata ndife boma patokha, we can do. All those leaders we see today they have been empowerd by us { the youth }. Why not us? Hahaha! The MW youths will get at that top.

  10. how can we deal with this issue yet we have been left dehind.our government dont even know the benefit of working together with youth……………we cant get fish from acid lake

    2. u cnt invest hundreds wit de aim of earning millions juliet,even if i cn boost my own businesss,for instance,farming rice.will de government manage findin market overseas for these product?

    3. u surpoz to vitualize juliet,our government has no abillity of helpin ts own citizens.what the leaders knw is ackhwledgin de raise of goods price,extracting huge tax from our sweat money,then scrumblin our money like the hungry dogs over fish bones…i cnt dare polish dis dusty n dirty government,this is selfish government.as iam writting dis txt,pple in villages are already on the queue waitin maize which they dont even knw weither they will buy or not,bcoz there is no maize in admac.yet our government anounced dat they made budget(kept money for the maize) in advance since they ready knw dat will have femine this season.where is the money for the maize yet pple are suffering …so now you want youth to step into this trash? give us 2017…we are ready

  11. Educated boys, but no materils sinaonepo ulimi wamakono pa compter atajambulapo gasu ndi nkhangwa. Ugapange create bwanji khasu ndi nkhangwa ngakhale utakhala ophuzila. Sukulu imagwizana ndizipangizo, koma kakaka ngasu la 1916, nthawi ya John Chilembwe. Anyamata apabunda college pangani tracter, kawoneni ku china.

    1. Why are you condoning and shielding lazy people?Who said farming is only maize that needs fertilizer?You are talking to an Agriculturist. Why not plant beans gnuts and soya first year to generate cash?Why not start keeping local chicken and goats pigs?You are talking of money hungry wolves?No ways no excuse for lazy youth

  12. Dziko lathu likufunika munthu wazeru zakuya tikalirekerera mawa tizavutika ndife ndi ana anthu tiyeni ife achinyamata tigwirizane chimodz tisalore dziko lathu kuti lionongeke ndi anthu akulu akulu oti zao zinayenda kale nunga ife

  14. Poor leadership can lead anyone affected.
    MALAWI NDIDZIKO LOCHEPA KOMA UPHAWI TIMAPOSA MAIKO AKULU AKULU.

    WHY MALAWI ONLY ?

    1. Laziness since men and women with grown up children are idling doing nothing good at child bearing hoping CSO will feed them.Doing nothing eats nothing

  17. Idol mind is a Devils workshop youth need to be creative enough for better other wise those that r selfish n opressive never 3lu the pain since all about them r going smooth achinyamata zikatiwawa ticitepo kanthu dzikondilalikulu zocitatu ndizambili mapulani aboma adzitipeza tikucitapo kenakake aliyense payekhapayekha or mogwilizana kumene ukapenya maso kuboma umphawi ndiosayamba wanvammimba ndiye atsekulachitseko palibe cosatheka bolakhama pazomwe wasankhazo osayembekezela kufika patali usadayambe ndizazing’ono sikadzakokha

  18. Can you elaborate then!First of all let your youth change their mind behaviour and think development ratherthan too much socialization boozing dancing womanizing screaming walking from 6 to 6 having no interest in what parents or progressive youth are doing.Why do you youth have no interest in villages where there is a lot of work? Good to used by politicians for money

    2. When you say “let your youth…”. I find this an utter abdication of one’s responsible citizenship . you presuposdly distance yourself from the problem in question . As such, you can hardly be part of the solution, hence uncommon judgement in your conclusion, ” Good to be used…for money ” . Come back to the debate .

  21. You mean the youth who are even a liability to parents! who do nothing but idle expect everything from old parents even steal chicken from refrigerators to sell and use the money for beer.Children who have no interest to visit their villages and prefer to be idling watching tv.This article is salt on parents for writing dreams.Make your research first visit the youth interview parents etc.Iam what iam because of my own initiative.

    2. But the majority are deadwoods moraly weak and are thieves. I was in Education the problem is that they seat phwii waiting for loan money and yet they can generate money from crop produce.Iam writing from findings
      Uneducated people are better than the so called halfbaked carefree educated

  25. how to transform.. the govt. no budget. no support.. no everythin.. they just keepp and taking money from govt. smg off silent.. how about thos people on da ground

  26. @ Lusungu Mgomezulu_ what do you recommend? Government to do what?In Malawi we believe in all us getting employed just for the sake of getting salary.Where will Government or Companies get revenue for wanting to please and create bogus jobs?

    2. Mwachitsanzo ku RSA, mwezi watha boma litalengeza kuti likweza sukulu fizi, adyamata anamenyana ndi apolisi usiku ndi usana. Mpaka mwezi ose. Ku malawi akweza anyamata ziii!

    3. May be young people are prepared by the state imposed Education system to become white collar job seekers . most youths have become what their government prepared them for . job seekers ! What do you think ?

  27. Mnyamata wakumalawi amalimbikila, kufunafuna, koma sangapindule. Akusowa chithandizo, mwachitsanzo, munthu sangapite panjinga kukafuna msika, wambeu zake monga ku amereka ayi. Munthu sangapite ku Iran panjinga ndi chigubu ayi. Ndanena izi ndamva wina akuti anyamata ndi awulesi pantchito, sizoona. Koma kut sapindula patimabizinesi tawo. Chifukwa boma lilibe chidwi, koma ndale basi.

  28. Mperembe, I tink your comment has senseless, Dziko akamati Dziko kuti lizipita patsogolo, zimafunika utsogoleri wa luntha, ndikupanga crash ma points omwe ali mu comment yako/yanu! Chifukwa ngati sukudziwa mwina ndiwe Mulendo, achinyamata am’malawi ndi odzipeleka zeeedi koma angapite bwanji pa tsogolo ngati atsogoleri safuna aChinyamata kutengapo gawo patsogolo la Dziko, Mwina ukadakhala oganiza bwino bwino bwino, kapena kuzitsata momwe maiko amene ali ochita bwino momwe utsogoleri kapena atsogoleri amapangila, aTsogoleri amakhala oyenera kulemekeza ndi kuopa anthu, pomwe Kumalawi atsogoleri ake si onse amene amalemekeza anthu, ndiye ngati atsogoleri kapena utsogoleri uli otere osamva nthu amdzikomo, pangakhale kukwela kwa Dziko, tikamati kumvela anthutu ndikuthandauza kuti pali magulu aanthu anzeru omwe pafupipafupi amakhala akulirangiza boma kuti izi ayi ziwononga tsogolo lathu koma izi ndizo zokula dziko! Ungandiuze kuti aChinyamata onse ali ku Malawiko Majoliy akumapanga zomwe ukunena mu Comment yanuyi? Sizoona! Vuto ndi Atsogoleri, Midala ya kale kale ikukanilirabe m’mipando,Why? Afunabe adzipondeleza aChinyamata, koma achinyamata ena amene ali ndi nzeru ngati zanuzi Izi sadziwa kuti Midalayi sikufunila tsogolo la bwino dziko lathu La MALAWI ayi!!!!

    1. Mtsogoleri wofoira yekha ndiamene angatenge achinyamata ofoira alerowa kuwayika patsogolo. Achinyamata ambiri ali useless uncultured uncircumcised in the heart and can’t be trusted with roles in the society. Most youth need big change a U-turn. I agree with Mperembe. There are some that are a blessing to the nation ndipo sangaponderezedwe chifukwa ndi onyadisa makolo ndinso dziko, lots have been given scholarships to further their studies ku Egypt, Netherlands, UK, USA etc, these are our leaders, these are our youths, the useless ones deserve to rot with us.

    2. Or ma comments akuonetsa kutinso achinyamataso kuponderezana okhaokha, kuonjezera pa midala inakhalira ma udindo since 1964 palinso achinyamata ena amene mwina powombera m’manja penapake, safuniranso achinyamata anzawo zabwino, mavuto akanali

    3. ithink I acknowledged in my comment that govt has a role to play but its not entirely the govt just like collegues are saying here. there can be good policies but without hard work from recipients can there be development? share with me as an individual did government helped you in any way different from what others have at their disposal to achieve what you achieved? you know the answer, now think of those youngmen who grew up in a similar enviroment with you but didn’t work that much and today are just embibing,how many are they? could they not have done better? that’s what am talking about. on gvt ithink its time it stops copying theories of creating employment and get our think tanks to think of ways to do so on the country`s specific problems as ILO reports recommmmends because what worked in china or USA may not work to same level in Malawi. we need to incoporate new strategies apart from borrowing some ideas.

  29. Vuto siboma ayi, koma ifeyo achinyamata ndife atulo kwambiri.sindife ogwirizana, ndife ozikonda, ndife amantha, tilibe maso mphenya. Sitiziwa chabwino ndi choipa, aliyese amapanga zake, timanamizidwa ndi kanthu kakang’ono. Timalorela andale kutigwilitsa ntchito kwambiri(pa 20 july 2011) anzanthu anaphedwa chosecho palibe chomwe mnyamata amapindula pa fundo zazionetselozo. Sitizindikila komwe tikupita. Timakhala chete akatipondeleza. Zambiri tili weak kwambiri. Ndikakonda kuti ndipeleke zitsanzo pazomwe ndalembazi komano nthawi ina, wanzeru atolapo kanthu.

  32. let’s not entirely blame our leaders, there are so many factors some of which are due to irresponsibility of ourselves as youth. just think of how many young people wake up everyday not with a mind to improve their lives but to swag around town and villages. they get a hundred thousand or fifty they think of squandering in bear,buy tabs/expensive phones,share it with mahule,buy marijuana etc instead of investing. In these days, there are lots of counseling and career guidance going on from nursery , primary, and secondary schools not to talk of tertiary level. But do young people utilize this? Not many! Think of so many irresponsible parents out there who are entrusted with the responsibility of raising these children to become good citizens are they exercising their role? not to a considerable pedigree.if ican ask you the author, is it the gvt that made you achieve what you have achieved or it took for your own hard work probably with support and good guidance from parents? now think of how many young people who hard a chance to work hard but wasted it and are now mongering around in towns and communities today? I would suppose the ratio is 1:500. One US predential candidate(Donald Trump) said recently, “Africans are lazy fools only good at eating,love making,stealing” etc. Somehow, there is truth in this saying though its not all africans and not all Malawians but the majority are. Government yes shares the blame for not being creative enough to deal with the un employment issues but we the youth are also to blame. let’s change!

    1. But we need gornment effort 4 your business, example ur producer of soya can ulook urself market overseas? If we r lucking fuel can we go iran on bicycle? If we r lucking fertilizer &chemical 4 our crops, can go china ourself? No! Youth they r try their best but the more they r getting nothing the more laziness they become. Thats y alot r abroad

    2. I agree with you that government is not creative enough to deal with the situation, but personally idont think there are young people who are producing products in bulk and lacking markets in Malawi. actually evidence shows we are producing less. Talking of fertilizer, not all products need chemical fertilizers and actually currently, we are talking of sustainable use of land hence the use of organic manure. Sometimes we are just quick to point fingures at government but we have lived with that for long and years are going. We need to reach that point where each and every youth in this country must ask him or herself: “what can ido for my country and government not what can the government do for me” If we have this we will also have the courage to demand services from government. you see sometimes we fail to demand services because we are not organized ourselves.

  33. We need to change things so that we must hv youth league in our country,thngs they are nt favour us as the youth because those leaders they are old and greedy they dnt care the welfare of the youth

    1. Youth leagues were there in the days of Kamuzu Banda someone decided to dismantle it for no reasons, thats the birth of all these so dont blame much the youths

  35. Its change of time n there is nothing long with that, imagine at first we were not hv phones to communicate but only letters but now there is phones can u blame technology on what is going on?

    1. Jesus is not coming today or tomorrow so cant be quite waiting for jesus,I dont think you can read the bible about jesus ndi njala

  40. Ngakhale retirement age itachepesedwa kufika pa 45yrs that can be alright kuti nawoso atsogoleri amawawa apasidwetso Mwayi, komaso timalakwisa pamene tikusakha ma president because president or minister wakulu sangalolele kuzungulilidwa ndi anyamata in parliament, Ku capital hill ndi ma office for example Ku capital hill Ku khalamba zolephera kuyenda uzipeza zangofika mamawa ko akugona even kuti uyakhule nawo in English amalephera but every month youths are graduate in our public & PVT universities & colleges ndeno amenewo Ntchito azalembedwa kuti?

  41. Ngakhale retirement age itachepesedwa kufika pa 45yrs that can be alright kuti nawoso atsogoleri amawawa apasidwetso Mwayi, komaso timalakwisa pamene tikusakha ma president because president or minister wakulu sangalolele kuzungulilidwa ndi anyamata in parliament, Ku capital hill ndi ma office my for example Ku capital hill Ku khalamba zolephera kuyenda uzipeza zangofika mamawa ko akugona even kuti uyakhule nawo in English amalephera BT even month youths are graduate in our public & PVT universities & colleges

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