For many young people in Malawi who leave school prematurely, the path to a stable future often seems blocked. Enock Mtambalika from Kapopo, Mzimba, was one such individual who faced a stagnant existence after dropping out in Form Two. “I was just staying at home doing nothing and was struggling to buy small, small things that I needed on a daily basis,” he recalled.
Today, however, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Enock and others like him. The “Green Jobs for Adolescents and Youths” project is providing a lifeline, transforming personal hardship into entrepreneurial success and environmental contribution. Funded by Save the Children Italy through Save the Children Malawi, this project targets out-of-school youths, arming them with marketable skills in environmentally sustainable sectors.
The project provides training and business incubation support in environmentally friendly skills, including: Renewable Energy: Solar installation, water pumps, biogas; Sustainable Agriculture: Modern, efficient farming techniques, and Eco-Friendly Vocations: Bakery (using energy-efficient stoves), tailoring, and ecotourism. The overall goal is to enable participants to stand alone economically while actively contributing to environmental conservation. Enock and his two friends took this opportunity to specialize in a crucial field: the installation of solar water pumps and home solar systems.
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“This project has changed our lives,” said Enock. “We call ourselves ‘the big three,’ and soon we will be operating as a registered company as all the processes for registration have been done.” Mtambalika said even without fully completing their training, they are already installing solar pumps and home systems for clients. The results are life-changing.
“It depends on how many have hired us, but on average we make over K500,000 a month when we offer our services,” said Mtambalika, while guiding reporters through a banana plantation where they installed a solar pump. Their next plan is to expand their reach outside Kapopo by registering The Big Three as a formal solar company. The impact of the Green Jobs initiative extends beyond solar power.
Sophilet Mkandawire, another project participant from the area of Inkosi Mzikubola, utilized the training to acquire skills in bakery. Mkandawire now plans to establish a fully-fledged bakery, committed to protecting the environment through the use of efficient, modern energy cooking stoves. “I can say my life has changed.
I no longer rely on my parents, I fend for myself through baking,” said Mkandawire. “I have even bought bags of fertilizer from the proceeds of baking which I will use to grow maize.”
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