Chilema Ecumenical Training Center at Malosa in Zomba has awarded certificates to 30 homecraft workers after completing their training.
Speaking during the graduation, Member of Parliament for Zomba Malosa, Grace Kwelepeta called on the awarded homecraft workers to be innovative so that they should initiate businesses to contribute to socio economic development of Malawi.
The parliamentarian who was guest of honour during at the graduation encouraged the homecraft workers who were mostly young people to network with existing community level structures and leaders to get business opportunities.
“God blesses those that works hard and it’s my hope that you will be innovative enough to initiate business that will bring you income to improve your living standards, ” said Kwelepeta
She appealed to Chilema Ecumenical Training Center management to encourage enrollment of young men into their training programmes to address gender disparities in line with the 50/50 activism.
She said equal enrollment of students in various programmes is a requirement in the Malawi 2063 development agenda.
Chilema Ecumenical Training Center Executive Director Rev. Canon Hopson Jailosi said the training center was established to promote entrepreneurial skills to young people apart from providing ecumenical training to all.
Canon Jailosi therefore appealed to parents and guardians to send young people to the Chilema Ecumenical Training Center to learn vocational and life skills plus human behaviour that should prepare them to be productive citizens.
10 out of the 30 learners were on bursary, courtesy of a United Kingdom based organisation, Canon Jailosi, disclosed.
“Chilema Ecumenical Training Center intends to get registered with TEVETA so that learners should be warded with TEVETA certificates,” he said.
The best performing student, Bridgette Potani, said her success was as a result of hard work and belief in God as a sole provider of guidance and wisdom.
She therefore encouraged fellow young people to enroll with the Chilema Ecumenical Training Center to learn vocational and entrepreneurial skills to prepare them for a successful future.
Out of the 30 learners who were awarded certificates at Chilema, 29 were young women.
The Moderator of the Blantyre Synod of the CCAP, Rev. Edina Navaya were among those that attended the graduation.
