Unemployment becomes a disease in Malawi: Graduates scrambling for non-graduate jobs
Usually, in Malawi, the celebration of graduating from a university is short-lived or is mixed with anxiety of whether finding a job will be an easy task for a graduate.
Most bright graduates are seen either spending time on job sites on internet or mongering around town searching for a job opening.
Innocent Hunga, is a graduate who studied Accounting at one of the universities and is still struggling to secure a job of his calibre.
“I just do some part time with other companies who say they have no capacity to employ me. What I get from the job is very little that can’t keep me going,” he said.
Maybe Innocent is better off. Memory Banda, a graduate in Journalism, has never landed a job since she graduated two years ago.
She says media houses just use her and later dump her without any payment. The time she spent chasing pages will always be regretted by Memory.
“I work for maybe one year for a media house but they don’t pay me and they dump me, the trend has been so ever since,” she said.
The two are only a drop in the sea of thousands of graduates who share similar stories. Some even share very pathetic experiences.
However, their fate is forcing them to scramble for small opportunities suitable for non-graduates.
“We now apply for every opportunity that arise, be it police training and teaching. I applied last year but they didn’t pick me and this year I will apply again for several opportunities,” said David Soko, who did Human Resource Management.
History lecture at Mzuzu University Crispin Mphande described the situation as pathetic and worrisome.
“Our education system is not good at all. It doesn’t prepare someone to become an entrepreneur. How many people can be employed? We need to change our curriculum and set up something which can ease unemployment,” he said.
On his part, Minister of labour, youth, and manpower development Henry Mussa said the DPP led government has already begun setting up plans to ease unemployment.
He said much as changing the curriculum may be vital, it may be a long term process and DPP government has already thought of technical colleges which will help impart entrepreneurship knowledge in many youths.
“We have already begun implementing programs aimed at easing unemployment and sooner or later things will be at least better in the country,” he said.
But director for Youth and Society (YAS) Charles Kajoloweka said much as community colleges may be a good plan, there is need to plan well on how to run them.
“Learners must be given adequate resources during and after the training and the training environment must be conducive for the learners, otherwise, the colleges may be a waste of time and resources,” he said.
85 thoughts on “Unemployment becomes a disease in Malawi: Graduates scrambling for non-graduate jobs”
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Graduates all over the globe are precious gifts to a developing world economic challenge if their governments really invest in their interests.
A country like Malawi has introduced many graduates since from the opening of it first graduation in 1975.
Its sad till to date that the very same government who built universities, technical colleges don’t supply service to their graduated candidate.
We lacks:
Doctors
Economists
Engineers
CA charted accountants
Lawyers
As they flew out of the country to enrich foreign countries.
Malawi is killing herself, because the leadership of the day don’t have any developing plans for these graduates.
Infrastructure developmental programmes brings hope to a developing nation, Malawi lacks that.
chot tiziwe zithu zafika pena nde ukamavaya geli osamapanga kalikose ndikumadalira yolembedwa???? uzalira potsikira
Nawonso atiwonjeza zaka 15 ati graduate zachibwana eti
Even nurses and teachers shud be innovative enough to be self employed! So all the hard work frm primary upto university, the aim was self employment?
Ask Them Just Imagine Spending More Than 18 Years .
Education gives you knowledge on how to go about things.it does not give you a job.so use that knowledge to create a job.teachers can even start with tuitions at their homes and exapand from there
Expand frm there and become what? I nw understand that who feels it knows it better!
Kaya zako izo!
We have jobs here in malawi, but the biggest problem is corruption, you can’t have a job without a link, everything is going well with a link here in malawi, even if you want to have plate of rice at the wedding, you need to make a strong link for you to enjoy that plate of rice, having a link is now becoming more important that having a school certificate!
that is very trueeee big man lots of jobs koma akulembedwa ntchito wa JCE kusiya wa diploma. zovuta izi
Imeneyo ndiye mpanje.
Tru…. An epidemic
Sometimes it not be a graduate but follow ur gus u can do better .their more successful people who did no graduated
Then Should We Say That The Govt Is Just Wasting It’s Funds By Educating Some Graduates? Should The Govt Expect These Graduates To Pay The Loans. The Main Problem Is The Lack Of Govt Will To Employ These Guyz. We Should Remember We Don’t Hav Enough Teachers, Health Workers, Agricultural Extension Workers, Electrical Engineers , Civil Engineers,Environment Management Experts To Match With Our Population But We Hav Best Graduates With Fresh And Innovative Ideaz In These Areas Just Sitting At Home. I Believe If Govt Can Employ These Guyz There Can Be A Change In Many Sectorz. For Example Malawi Trains Best Electrical Engineers And Civil Engineers Which If Employed Can Bring A Change At Escom And Water Boards Minimising The Current Electricity And Water Challengez. Even With Enterpreneurship Ideaz Without Capital It Can’t Work.
Mudzaziona
Ma graduate matama akhale choncho tatopa nawo
Nothing wrong! Its called being innovative, when you realise you can’t eat your BAs, MAs, or Phds. There is a success story of a graduate medical Doctor who left her practice to venture into seedling growibg and does’nt regret the slightest doing the muddy job.
She had funds to do that i suppose,, but is every graduate having the required funds to show the world his or her innovative ideas?
https://www.tumfweko.com/2016/12/01/meet-the-young-zambian-doctor-who-is-a-farmersee-her-encouragement-here/
read the story yourself nothing comes without challenges. The only medicine is hardwork and determination.
http://www.africanfarming.com/zambian-doctor-horticulture-seedlings/
If It Happened To Somebody The Same Can’t Be To U. U Forget That Education Iz Time Consuming.
So you mean graduates have to keep their minds idle because there are no jobs? Why not use the knowledge actuired to advance oneself.
The woman you are talking of is a grand daughter of Kenneth Kaunda’s brother. So u can’t lie of her not having a penny to start something
The problem is we dont have enough confidence to push ourselves forward, to take that first step! The fact that the grand father was the elder brother of Dr. Kaunda did not mean they had it easy. Examples are abound! Not all the relatives of our former presidents are doing well.
Bwanji ophunzira mukulira boma nnanga ife osaophunzira chifukwa amalume ndi aduna mufuna kupezeninso ncthito ANTHU openge eti
. Mayeso oonera collage chifukwa abambo anu ndi minister mapeto ake. Best way use your brain to money why gvmt? Kundipangitsa MANYAZI
Taona ndiwe mbuli ndi chichewa chomwe chikukuvuta kulemba walemba mbwerela sukudziwa momwe school ku university imavutira ukakhala mbuli zina timangokhala chete isayankhurako kuopa umbuliwo kuti ungasekedwe ngati chomchi…hahahahah this is sensiles tawalembatu ntchito iweyo mesa ukuti tikulilira kulembedwa ntchito? Mukhaliranji agalu pakati pa anthu?
The disease in malawi is not unemployment but inability to create new jobs by the graduating students we have seen their fellow students creating jobs&employ others within malawi.Revisit yur mentality
How can someone create emproyment for others when he doesnt have the required resources especially income? Most graduates are innovative but lack of funds and resources makes it hard for them to show the world what they are capable of
My comment on this issue meant that jobs can really be created,are created by own innovations.What I’m worried about is the terminology that malawi unemployment a disease this is unfair definition.
MUYAMBA NDALE BASI WOPHUNZIRA BWINO INU MA MAN KU CASHGAT
Join me abroad for green pasture
Blantyre central imeneyo kkkkkkkk eish
Was going through the comments and everyone is like the graduates should be innovative and start something by themselves, that point is totally true but income is needed for a person to start something…maluzi ake amenewa munthuyo innovation ayambira pati? To be honest this is not USA it is “MALAWI” a.k.a hell on earth things are tough here
By waiting until you have enough you will wait for ever. Take the first step, grow even tomatoes in your backyard and it will be your first step to success.
you don’t need capital to start some business, I started laundry and dry cleaning business without a cash, today I can’t count my branches in Lagos
You pple are kidding ryt..u mean an electrical engineer with a degree or whatever ..should once start his/her future by this u are telling ???? What’s the meaning of being a graduate then…??? Hahahaha mama country is poor and sucks..that’s the fact
Mudazolowera kuti ma aziankolo anu akulembeni ntchito mu gvt,be like Nigerians or Zimbabweans,,,,,,they husle hard in their streets to earn a living.its only in Malawi whereby a graduate lives under parents roof,…!!!Kkkkkk shame,, bola ine osapita KU school,,,if I have 5thousand kwacha,,,iknow how to make 2grand with it!!!!
Aise this is not Nigeria….dollar ikusowa anthu oti akupanga business or working ndiye your expecting someone oti wangochoka ku school to make it that simple…the same graduates who are failing to make ends meet in MW akapita kumaiko kwina zinthu zimawayendera,, the problem is poor governance here
Munthu Akakhaladi Mbuli Amayankhura Sensiless Ndaonera Iwe Sumaziwa Kut Munthu Akakhala Graduate Amavutika Bwanji To Become That,y Comparing Our Country To Nigeria?Or Other Countries?Dnt U Know Malawi Is Poor?Kod Mwana Wamaliza School Ndi Graduate Amaphuzilira Government Loan,kwao Kulibe Andalama Kulibeso Antchito Zapamwana Oti Angamulembe Ntchito Mpamba Oyambira Gen Or Something Else Alibe Kma Ndi Graduate Mati Asadandaule?Aziba Ngat Inu ?Zaumbuzi Malembazi U Dnt Kna Hw School Imawawira Ukakhala Pa University That Its More Like Aprison
Who Feels It Knows It. Amene Sanapiteko Ku Sukulu Sangaziwa How Tough College Work Iz. Can’t Even Realize School It’s About The Survival Of The Fittest That’s Why He (sharped Ndaluza) Was Eliminated At The Early Stage I Am Sure.