Committed to ensuring that its programmes respond to the needs of communities it serves as per the organisation’s core value, the TEVET Authority trained over 23 youths in Mlowe Village, in Rumphi in Boat making. 

The training which was tailor-made for the area due to the transportation needs of the communities in Mlowe was facilitated by Ngara Community Technical College through a mobile training initiative of the TEVET Authority. Out of the 23 people trained, 22 were male while one was female.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony of the youth that was trained in Mlowe, Ngara Community Technical College Principal Glyn Nyirongo urged the participants to put their skills to use to solve the various transportation challenges their communities face. 

Nyirongo said he expects that with the skills the graduating students have gained, boats will be locally produced and maintained in the community.

While conquering with the Principal on the expectations from students, TEVET Authority Executive Director, Elwin Sichiola commended Ngara CTC for partnering with the Authority to impart skills to youths in remote areas. He said it is only through such close collaborations that skills development initiatives in the country can go far. 

Sichiola urged the communities to strive to empower the girl child so that Mlowe should develop.

“While it is commendable that the youth in the area have been trained in boat making, the fact that only one female out of the 23 participated, it is a worrisome development,” he said. 

Sichiola said TEVET Authority is striving to mainstream gender in its training hence he expects more females to enrol in skills development programmes.

“Females ought to be encouraged to participate in these programmes because skills training knows no gender. As TEVET Authority we are doing our part to ensure that more females enrol in male-dominated trades but what is lacking is community support. Malawi cannot fully develop if we continue to undermine females in these technical skills,” said Sichiola. 

During the same function, the TEVET Authority also donated an engine boat ambulance to Mlowe community to help ease transportation challenges. The boat which was produced by the graduating students, through the On-the-Job approach to training cost the Authority K5 million, inclusive of the engine. The boat was certified by the Marine department for operations on Lake Malawi. 

In his acceptance speech of the donation, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwamlowe thanked TEVET Authority for the kind gesture which he said will ease a lot of challenges the community was facing. 

“The community here does not have alternative means of transportation apart from water transport, hence the donation is quite critical. He said for years, the community in Mlowe did not have an affordable and reliable boat to ferry patients. 

The T/A further urged his subordinates to desist from abusing the boat and asked them to ensure it is maintained.

“Let me urge every user of this resource to ensure that it is well taken care of. Let’s not abuse it so that it can serve us for a long period. The good thing is that those who can maintain it are within the community, I believe they will be able to put their skills to good use whenever the need arises,” said Mwamlowe. 

Through the training in boat making, Mlowe youth learnt various skills such as sealing a boat, fixing appendages, constructing the floor, preparing the hull, making shutter frames, installing shutters, and finishing the boat, among others