Economic Youth Empowerment

Balaka district

By Aubrey Alphonse Ligomeka

09 January 2022

In a very rare scenario, a youth-led organisation called Tithandizane Youth Support Organisation (TIYSO) is trying all it can to bring about community change through youth economic empowerment by focusing on all youths rather than just the girl child issues.

Based in the Eastern region of Malawi in Balaka district, the Organisation was founded in 2017 by Aubrey Duwa along with his colleague Marlou Reiding from the Netherlands. After the two good friends realised that a lot of young people from Malawi and in particular the Balaka district faced major economic empowerment challenges they set about to build courses in technical skills development along with ways to eradicate poverty through various small scale enterprises.

The Organisation rents a building in the district and as one of its ways of giving back to the youth in Balaka, TIYSO helps to provide school fees for some of the youths from the poor families whilst it offers free courses in tailoring and designing, computer studies, welding, joinery and carpentry .

Currently the Organisation is in partnership with other stakeholders such as Oxfam Malawi where they conduct community outreach for Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH). According to the Executive Director Mr Aubrey Duwa there are plans to expand into their own state-of-the-art-centre with the aim of creating full-time positions for employees as compared to the current voluntary basis situation.

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Tithandizane Youth Support Organisation since its inception has helped over fifty (50) families with various basic necessities but also it has trained two hundred (200) young people with different technical skills. According to the Executive Director it is a clear indication of how important it is to have the centre running since it is yielding positive impacts for the communities but also brings positive changes to the lives of young people in the area.

Mr. Duwa concluded by pleading with all well-wishers, governments and other stakeholders to support them in anyway they can manage to help the organisation and to also keep activities on track as the organisation is ready to work with interested partners.

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