DAPP Dowa TTC at Youth Day commemorations in Dowa District

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Education

Themed “Transforming Education”, the 2019 youth day commemorations highlight the efforts taken to make education more inclusive and accessible to all youth, including efforts by the youth themselves. With this in mind, Dowa District Counsel organized a youth day celebration were DAPP Dowa Teacher Training College (TTC) participated.

Held at Chinziri Community Day Secondary school grounds in Traditional Authority Kayembe on 19th October, the event was graced by various organizations, government representatives and chiefs. Through pavilions, DAPP graduated tailors trained under the Satellite tailoring course offered to vulnerable Adolescent girls and Young Women (AGYW) at DAPP Dowa TTC explained how the course has changed their lives.

“I gained so much from the course. I now run a shop by Mponela trading center and my family and I are doing well” said Catherine Mwale, one of the graduates from the course.

DAPP graduated tailor explains the benefits of the training

The day was spiced up by music and dance

Dr Abel Kayembe, Member of Parliament for Dowa west thanked the various organizations supporting government efforts in ensuring that youth are trained.  While Mr. Mark Luka, Dowa council chair encouraged youth to work hard as education unlocks so many doors.

DAPP Malawi equips youths with various vocational skills that enable them to become self-efficient and product members of society

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture visits DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School (MVS)

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Education

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mr. Francis Phiso and other government officials visited DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational Training School (MVS) on the 14th of October to appreciate the running of the Malawi Jobs for youth Project.

The project, which is being implmemented under the Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development with funding from the African Development Bank aims at creating an environment for youth to participate in economic activities which will enable them to become self-reliant entrepreneurs. It targets youths aged between 15 to 35 years, budding entrepreneurs in the informal and formal sectors and out of school youth.

The Minister admiring shoes made by student at Mikolongwe

On the move

As an implementing partner, DAPP Mikolongwe vocational School is to train 500 youths by the end of the project. With a current enrollment of 53 youths, consisting of 20 males and 33 females respectively, the youth are trained in theoretical components of the various courses they are undertaking for a period of two months and thereafter proceed to industrial attachments for one month. The one-year project phases out in December 2020 and is expected to create an estimated 17,000 jobs for the youth of Malawi

The Minister encouraged the students under training to concentrate on their studies so that when they start their businesses they can employ fellow youth.
DAPP Mikolongwe Vocational School has been in operation since 1997 and aims at equipping youth with technical and vocational skills and knowledge for them to become productive, be able to secure employment or become self-reliant by starting up small-scale businesses,

Support to Pre-schools Project making strides

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Education

 DAPP Malawi has since 2003 been supporting Community Based Child Care centers (CBCCs) around its teacher training colleges which complements the government of Malawi’s efforts to improve the delivery and access to quality early childhood education. 

Despite various efforts, DAPP Malawi observed that most CBCC’s do not have adequate facilities and resources to support children. As such, attendance is low and dropout is high as most children are not motivated to come to schools for play and learn. Most schools do not feed children which makes parents not to send their children to school.

Beneficiaries of the project

One of the Preschools that has been renovated

Ramps in place to encourage inclusion of leaners with disabilitys

The classroms with wall art and a fresh coat of Paint

58 Adolescent girls and Young Women graduate with Tailoring skills

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Education

58 DAPP trained adolescent girls and Young women (AGYW) graduated with certificates in Tailoring from Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) on 2nd of October at Phalombe District youth office,

Receiving the certificate

The graduating class

The AGYW from traditional authorities Jenala, Kaduya and Mkhumba in Phalombe district were trained in tailoring for four months through a course known as Mobile training being run by Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Malawi with financial support from Sympany from the Netherlands. The training equips AGYW with skills in basic tailoring and entrepreneurship skills and has trained 148 participants since 2016.

Present at the graduation ceremony was the Ward councilor for Livulezi Ward in Phalombe South constituency Mr. Bernard Mkomwa, Traditional Authority Senior Chief Kaduya, village headman Bokosi and community members

“I commend DAPP for the work they are doing here and I know the lives of these trained girls will no longer be the same again. I would like to urge DAPP to come back to Phalombe as they are more youth in the district which needs training like this” Said Mr. Mkomwa

Gladys Kapa, a Student representative thanked DAPP Malawi, Sympany and TEVETA for coming up with the Tailoring training in Phalombe. She further thanked Phalombe district council for allowing DAPP to come and train them.

The graduates also received start up tools including a sewing machine to encourage teamwork among the groups of three’s known as trio groups and to encourage them to put their skills into practice.

The project targets to equip 270 AGYW with technical and entrepreneurial skills to equip them to start their own small scale businesses by 2021.