Citizen Impact Organisation
We walk with youths, women and persons with disabilities across Northern Malawi to expand opportunity, dignity and voice.
Citizen Impact Organization (CIO) Executive Director, Chimwemwe Banda, has urged girls from Traditional Authority Mthwalo in Mzimba District to avoid early marriages if they are to broaden their future prospects. Banda said this when CIO held a career guidance and role modeling session at Thandazga Primary School in the district. She stressed that early marriages often lead to missed opportunities, limited personal growth, and potential health risks. “Marriage is an important life choice, but it should come at the right time when you are emotionally and economically prepared for it. Your dreams and aspirations should not be compromised because of early marriages and peer pressure,” she said. “By staying in school and pursuing your dreams, you’re not only investing in yourselves but also in your community and the nation as a whole.” One of the teachers at the school, Queen Mtambo, applauded CIO for enlightening their learners and called for more visits of this kind.
Read Citizen Impact Organisation Inspires Girls In Mzimba
The Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) has challenged graduates of vocational skills to work hard towards expanding their trades so that they employ other jobless youths. TEVETA director of training programmes Modesto Gomani made the remarks in Mzuzu during the graduation of young persons who acquired skills in tailoring, fashion and design through a six-month course offered by Citizen Impact Organisation. He said with young people forming a larger segment of the country’s population, the youth need to be at the forefront of fostering development. “We are engaging the youth in various skills development programmes because we want to leverage on the numbers that they have so that they actively participate in economic development activities. We encourage them to work in groups because there is a lot of synergy.”
Read Artisans Challenged to Create Jobs
Learners at Kaswiti Primary School in Mzimba District are at risk of not meeting their academic goals as they are failing to access quality education due to a poor learning environment. Kaswiti Primary School, which is under Mzimba North Education Division, has two iron-sheet roofed classroom blocks and one grass-thatched block which leaks when it rains. According to the school’s headteacher, Pius Tembo, learners from different classes are forced to use the same classroom due to the challenge. “We meet a lot of challenges here. For instance, during lessons, Standard 4 and 5 learners use one classroom, same as those of Standard 7 and 8. When the rains come, things get worse. Our grass-thatched classroom block leaks heavily, a situation that disrupts lessons.” Apart from having few dilapidated blocks, the school also has inadequate staff houses.
Read Poor Learning Environment Affecting Learners in MzimbaWe address burning issues to do with Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and Mental Health by providing evidence-based expertise on how to, among other things, use contraceptives to safeguard life as well as constitutional rights in accessing health reproductive services.
We enhance skills in sports and arts by providing an ideal platform where youths can interact and shape their skills to their full potential.
We foster a gender equality environment for all people regardless of sex, tribe, race as well as religion, bearing in mind that gender equality is key to socio-economic development.
Promoting environmental conservation by increasing awareness to the locals as well as organizing tree planting and management exercises in a bid to attain a green and clean environment.
Your time, partnership and voice help CIO build fairer futures across Northern Malawi.
“CIO helped me to create jobs through their technical skills programme. I now train other young women in tailoring.”
“The career guidance session opened our learners’ eyes. They left believing school is still the surest path to a wider future.”
“When young people work in groups after training, there is real synergy. CIO is putting that lesson into practice.”
Every figure is a person reached through training, rights education or community support.
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Entrepreneurship
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