Young Achievers for Development has called for stronger interventions to address challenges facing young people in Malawi, saying the country still has a long way to go in promoting youth development and welfare.

Speaking as Malawi commemorates International Youth Day, the organisation’s Executive Director Jefferson Milanze said continued cases of young people dying by suicide are an indication that more needs to be done to support their wellbeing.

“One of the things we are seeing a lot of young people still, you know, maybe dying by suicide just because of certain things that they are going through. So this is an indicator that we still have a lot of work to do in as far as youth development is concerned.”

Milanze said youth development requires collective responsibility from government, communities and young people themselves, who should also take an active role in looking after their welfare.

He said while government and other stakeholders have introduced various initiatives to support young people, more interventions are needed because young people make up more than 65 percent of Malawi’s population.

“There are some efforts that are being taken, that are being put in place, but we are still very far in as far as youth development is concerned.”

Milanze has identified education and employment as key areas requiring greater attention, saying many young people struggle to afford university fees, while others remain unemployed for years after graduating.

He has therefore called for increased support towards education and the creation of industries and other opportunities that can provide employment for young graduates.

“People, you know, young people graduate today and they’ll stay at home maybe for the next five years without doing anything. So I think we still need to deliberate, create, it could be, I don’t know, maybe industries or whatsoever that will ensure that young people are getting employed when they graduate.”

Milanze has acknowledged that some progress has been made by government and other stakeholders but says much more needs to be done to ensure young people are adequately supported.