BOTTOMLINE ARTICLES 2020 [1]

#Our Country Malawi The Responsibility Of Everyone Of Us Not Just Government

BY

MARISEN MWALE

The message I have for us as Malawians as we rollout 2020 albeit within the context that our electoral political impasse ought to have been resolved in 2019, is that our country is everyone's responsibility not just government. On my mind is and as backdrop the controversial statement by the incumbent president that some human rights institution (HRDC) is operating like a terror group. I endeavor to be a bit non-partisan on matters of politics so I will not comment on that but that does not preclude the fact that within a context of political tension as we are in, a bit of taming the tongue and responsibility on all divides is vital. Now, I got intrigued with one thought on my mind way back triggered by a session on radio by the Nkhoma synod celebrated clergyman Rev Kachipapa on machinations of the devil: that mostly the devil does not intrude a mind without knowing or capitalizing on one's weak spots. Some democratic check and balance institutions and even political parties I'm sorry to say seem to be operating like wise .... specifically like the devil. Just to furnish an example, I for one would surmise even for political parties that within a context of exponential youth unemployment, which has obviously become the byword for decampaining government and luring youth to the streets to demonstrate against government, some institutions or parties ought to as a matter of necessity and in the best interest of us all as a nation bring to the table potential solutions. That's rather than capitalizing on the weak spot of youth unemployment as a weapon for sabotage or gaining political mileage.

I would within my non-partisan orientation think of conceptualizing solutions within what government is already bringing to the table. On community colleges for example, the equity being accorded every Malawian youth even from the remotest areas to empowerment like Kasama in Chitipa, may be complemented with a bid to every well wishing Malawian to play a role by contributing equipment and tools for the young people to showcase and bankroll careers after graduation. Not that there are no well wishing Malawians even in the Diaspora who could contribute to the manifestation of that initiative in the guise of unity of purpose but that the messages we construct and communicate from such government initiative like community colleges as opposition parties and check and balance democratic institutions are rather toxic and negative. We would rather champion the rhetoric of youth unemployment and bank our hopes on utilizing that weak spot to demerit and discredit government or incite youth to the streets on that pretext than preach potential solutions to end youth unemployment. I for one would think ending youth unemployment is every well wishing Malawian's responsibility and obligation especially when I fathom that what youth mostly need is empowerment. We could for our graduates empower them with requisite resources and infrastructure to roll out their own organizations or careers and even further develop ideas they bring from University to fruition rather than capitalizing on the weak spot of unemployment and that is not only the responsibility of government. We could alternatively foster entrepreneurship among our graduate youth. For the non-graduate youth within the context of government initiative like the community colleges or even fertilizer subsidy, a lot could be done not only by government but every well wishing Malawian including non-governmental organizations.

Several organizations complementing government effort in that vein cannot go without mention: World vision, Plan Malawi, Oxfam, UNDP, USAID, JICA, DFID, GIZ, CIDA, NORAD, Cadecom etc need to be complimented. Even some ordinary Malawians are playing and could play their part........... if a majority of us could create one or two jobs: buy a welding machines or two and hire youth for instance , buy a vehicle or two, or a lorry or two for those who can afford and hire youth, the question is how many non-graduate youth would we take from the streets and list of the unemployed. Fact is we need to model and nurture a better Malawi as a unified group of people and with consented effort and not be bent to sabotage government effort by always witch wishing or hunting for weak spots that we may as well help mitigate. Let's not always play the devil in Rev Kachipapa's renditions. There is a lot everyone of us can do to complement government effort and after all Malawi belongs to everyone of us!

BY MARISEN ‘MAESTRO’ MWALE