Young people in the country have been advised to always engage meaningfully with authorities as they amplify their voices on matters of policies and budgets concerning sexual reproductive health rights and services.
Two renowned health rights activists, Maziko Matemba and George Jobe, made these calls on Friday in Mponela, Dowa District, during a day-long training on health budget advocacy and policy communication for young people drawn from various districts across the country.
In his remarks, Matemba advised young people to be vigilant and resilient in the field of advocacy as they push for positive change regarding SRHR for their peers.
“I urge you all to have passion for the welfare of your friends in terms of SRHR. I am confident that this advocacy for increased funding for health budgets that concern the youth will be successful, as have past advocacies. Let’s continue to fight unitedly for the health rights of people in the country,” he said.
On his part, Jobe, who guided the participants on how to conduct effective health budget advocacy, stated that the future of Malawi depends on the decisions made under the influence of young people who need to be well informed about matters that affect them and propose solutions.
“The future of Malawi depends on meaningful engagement in addressing health issues pertinent to our generation of young people. It is important to continue advocating for Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Services, as they are essential for the nation’s future amidst a growing population,” he said.
One of the participants, Mary Seunda, stated that she would use the skills obtained to amplify the voices of her fellow young persons with disabilities so that their concerns relating to SRHR are heard and addressed by authorities.
“This training is an eye-opener, as it will help advocate for the accessibility of sexual reproductive health rights and services for all young people, including my fellow young persons with disabilities. We need to demand our rights and ensure we are always engaged in matters of policies that affect us,” she said.
The training was organized by the Youth Initiative for Community Development-Malawi in collaboration with the Phalombe Youth Arms Organisation (PYAO) and All for Youth, aimed at amplifying youth voices and agency in SRHR budget and policy processes.
