Fundraising for Desks with Makwelero

NYCOM’s main slogan and purpose is “uniting youth for development”. Our focus is to coordinate all efforts of youth development in Malawi. At NYCOM, we believe that all young people should be empowered through education, networking, and information exchange. We strive for this together with our affiliate organizations and indeed with others not yet affiliated.

Included in our five year Strategic Plan, NYCOM advocates for access to inclusive education for all youth including youth with disabilities.

Recently we were so impressed with the actions and ideas of one of our affiliate organizations and we went the extra mile to help them mobilize learning resources for a special needs class in a primary school in Lilongwe.

Makwelero is an organization founded by recent University graduates hoping to inspire the volunteer spirit within other youth in the community by helping struggling primary school pupils learn to read and write. By providing one on one tutoring in reading and writing, they hope to promote the eradication of illiteracy within schools across Malawi.

Upon establishing a tutoring program at the Lilongwe LEA School in the Capital Lilongwe, it was jarringly obvious the school does not have adequate resources, which is unfortunately the case for most public schools across Malawi. The learners do not have desks to sit in or books to learn with, and the school blocks are falling apart with broken windows and gaping holes in the ceilings and floors.

In order to bring some resources to the school, two of our Canadian volunteers started an online campaign called “Adopt a Desk”. People are encouraged to donate $50 CND for the purchase of a two-person desk. The goal is to raise $2 500 to revamp one classroom at the school.

Within a few days 25% of the funds were already raised but then came to a halt shortly after. To gain more momentum we revisited the school armed with a video camera and a vision. We wanted to shoot a short video that would encourage more people to understand the situation and need for promoting a healthy learning environment for students here in Malawi.

Here is the video titled, “A day in the Life”:

If you would like to know more about the campaign and how to donate go here:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/adopt-a-desk-in-malawi/x/12474033#/

If you would like to know more about what Makwelero is doing go here:

https://makwelero.wordpress.com

Notice on Compliance for Youth Organisations Registered under the NYCOM Act

Please take note of this notice which was also issued in both the Malawi News and the Weekend Nation of 31st October 2015.

National Youth Council of Malawi is a Statutory Corporation established by an Act of Parliament (National Youth Council of Malawi Act (1996)) and mandated to register youth organisations and coordinate, promote and regulate youth work in Malawi.

For organisations to register as affiliates of the Council, there are conditions that they are required to meet. These conditions are supplied to each organisation along the registration process. The coordination and regulation functions of the Council hugely bank on the affiliates meeting a number of other requirements, prime of which are payment of affiliation fees and submission of reports at regular intervals.

Section 23 of the National Youth Council of Malawi Act (1996) gives the Council powers to register and assess youth organisations operating in Malawi. Section 25 of the Act gives the Council the power to cancel the registration of any organisation that ceases to satisfy the minimum standards outlined. Youth Organisations registered by and affiliated to the National Youth Council of Malawi are also required to pay annual affiliation fee, submit quarterly reports to the Council and be effective in their operations.

National Youth Council of Malawi has noted with concern the continued inclination by most affiliates towards failure to comply with, or blatant disregard of, compliance measures. The National Youth Council of Malawi is, therefore, hereby informing all registered youth organisations and the general public that the Council will deregister all youth organisations that do not comply with the provisions of the Act and cooperation guidelines. Youth organisations that will not show any improvement or compliance by 31st December 2015 will be deregistered and will be required to return their certificates to the Council’s registered address. The names of the deregistered youth organisations will be published in the press.  

National Youth Council of Malawi has also noted with concern that some youth organisations are operating illegally without registering with the National Youth Council of Malawi. Such organisations are advised to either register with the National Youth Council of Malawi or stop operating as youth organisations. Take note that Section 22(ii) of the National Youth Council of Malawi Act bars any organisation from operating as a youth organisation if it is not duly registered. 

The Council would also like to implore all stakeholders in youth development to desist from working with youth organisations that are not duly registered with the Council or with District Youth Offices, and from establishing parallel structures.

For further enquiries contact:

The Executive Director, National Youth Council of Malawi, Plot 47/2/112, Private Bag 389, Lilongwe 3.

Tel: 01761425/01762026; Email: info@malawiyouthcouncil.org