In a significant step towards fostering gender equality and sustainability, the Chitipi Youth Organization has been equipped with knowledge and skills to champion these causes in their community. Collaborating with GenHub, a local social enterprise dedicated to promoting gender and generational equality, inclusiveness, and diversity, alongside Hopmac (Horticulture Production and Marketing Consortium), the youth organization is committed to mainstreaming these values into sustainable change initiatives.
The event took place at Chitipi Primary School in Senior Chief Mbwatalika in Lilongwe during a youth engagement training organized by Genhub in conjunction with HOPMAC. Aimed at empowering youth, particularly adolescent girls and young women, the training focused on tangible climate leadership and fostering sustainable change through grassroots efforts.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Kafera, the director of HopMac, emphasized the importance of collective action in conserving the environment and contributing effectively to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 5 and 13, focusing on gender equality and climate action respectively. He encouraged youth involvement in agriculture, highlighting its potential for economic independence and its role in achieving these SDGs.

Theodora Kaliu, Genhub’s Community and Partnership Consultant, stressed the significance of engaging youth in agriculture to enhance their innovativeness in embracing climate-smart practices. She emphasized Genhub’s collaboration with HOPMAC to empower youth as leaders in their communities, providing them with knowledge, tools, and resources for grassroots movements focused on climate action and gender equality.

Gamaliel Sandram, a member of the Mwera Village Development Committee (VDC), highlighted the project’s importance in increasing youth involvement in agriculture, thus creating employment opportunities in the sector.

During the event, Genhub and HOPMAC led the Chitipi youth club in a tree-planting exercise, with over 200 different trees planted. This initiative aimed to ensure no one is left behind in achieving community development goals, emphasizing the importance of collective action and environmental stewardship in creating a sustainable future.