Youths in Malawi can now smile with hope following the launch of the Strengthening Policy and Institutional Capacity for Youth Employment and Agri-Food Systems Transformation (SPICE) Project, which will run for 36 months.
The three-year project is funded by AGRA, will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Trade, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
It has a total budget of K2 billion kwacha; each ministry will receive $400, 000 equivalent to K720 million, aimed at creating jobs, strengthening youth participation in agri-food systems, and enhancing market access.
Speaking during the official launch, Dina Gumulira, Director of Technical Services under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, described the initiative as a milestone in addressing challenges affecting young people, including unemployment and limited market opportunities.
She emphasized that the project aligns with Malawi 2063 Vision, which seeks to build a youth-empowered, job-creating, and food-secure nation.
“We noted that about 50 percent of Malawi’s population is made up of young people, yet they lack opportunities and inclusivity. This project aims to close that gap,” she said.
Dr. Eluphy Nyirenda, Country Director for AGRA Malawi, highlighted the importance of policy alignment to ensure effective youth empowerment.
She noted that while Malawi 2063 provides a strategic vision, the absence of a supportive legal framework, such as a National Youth Service Bill and an implementation strategy for the National Youth Policy, has been a major challenge.
“We want to ensure that all policy documents complement each other and support the creation of work opportunities for young people,” said Dr. Nyirenda.
Youth representative Weston Mfunya, Acting Executive Director for Youth Wave and Co-Chair of the National Youth Technical Working Group, welcomed the project as a timely intervention.
He said it addresses key challenges such as food security and youth unemployment, while unlocking opportunities within the agriculture sector.
“This is a huge milestone for us as young people. Agriculture has enormous potential to create jobs, and this project will help us tap into that,” he said.
The SPICE Project marks a significant step toward empowering Malawi’s youth by bridging policy gaps, enhancing job creation, and fostering economic inclusion as young people are not considered as beneficiaries but active drivers of national development.
Story by Catherine Tembo
One comment on “Malawi rolls out K2 billion Spice Project for jobs, Agri-Food growth”
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So a youth how can I access this initiative?