Unicaf University, Malawi proudly hosted an engaging Youth Voices Regional Dialogue at its Lilongwe campus on September 30, providing young people with an opportunity to engage directly with government representatives and youth organisations on the issues, challenges and opportunities affecting them.
With the theme ‘Empowering Youth Voices for Inclusive Development and Economic Transformation’, the dialogue aimed to facilitate meaningful engagement between young people, policymakers and youth development stakeholders, encouraging constructive discussions on youth unemployment, entrepreneurship, skills development and economic participation, while also seeking to enhance young people’s awareness of available youth programmes, opportunities and information channels.
Moreover, the dialogue enabled young people to voice their concerns and share experiences related to their social and economic development, as well as further encouraging strengthened collaboration between higher education institutions, government youth agencies and other youth organisations to explore practical pathways of advancing youth development and economic transformation.
The dialogue, moderated by Mr Limbani Mwale, Unicaf University Student Affairs Officer, and facilitated by Mr Felix Chiyenda, NYCOM Acting Deputy Director of Programmes and Mr Baldwin Mtambazeka, Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture Senior Officer, opened with a moderated discussion exploring the realities facing young people, including the challenges and opportunities shaping their futures, as well as existing policies and programmes addressing youth-related issues in education and employment.
This was followed by the Youth Voices open-floor session, which gave participants an opportunity to share their perspectives on key issues affecting young people, with discussions centred on gaps in skills, experience and workplace preparedness, limited access to information regarding training, employment and entrepreneurship support, as well as barriers to inclusion and meaningful youth participation in economic activities and leadership.
The final segment of the dialogue highlighted the vital role of higher education institutions in equipping students with more than academic knowledge by expanding access to practical learning opportunities, professional networking and career development experiences. Participants also emphasised the importance of continuously reviewing and updating curricula to align with evolving educational demands, labour market needs and broader socioeconomic developments, ensuring that graduates are well prepared to contribute meaningfully to future national development and economic transformation.
Overall, the Youth Voices Regional Dialogue marked an important step towards strengthening youth engagement and advancing discussions on the issues, challenges and opportunities shaping young people’s futures, while also reinforcing the importance of enhanced collaborative efforts among government youth institutions, public organisations and higher education providers in translating young people’s concerns into meaningful action, advancing youth empowerment, inclusive development and economic transformation.
Unicaf University remains committed to addressing youth development challenges by expanding access to higher education, promoting knowledge exchange and youth engagement, and strengthening civic participation, not only through its continued provision of generous scholarship opportunities and wide range of modern academic programmes, but also through enhanced collaborative efforts with new and existing partners and institutions alike.
