AYISE  Newsletter,  Jan-­‐Mar  2014  |  1  

A Y I S E Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement

Jan-Mar 2014

Building a better world for Malawi’s youth through grassroots, community-led projects in health, education, environment, human rights, and peace.

P.O. Box 90588, Bangwe 9, (Limbe) Blantyre | +265 (0) 999-954283 or (0) 888-782640 | ayisemain@ayisemw.org

AYISE to open new youth centre in Thyolo with Queen’s Baton Relay Funds

  In  London,  England,  in  October  2013,  the  Queen  of  England  launched  the  baton  relay  of  the  XX  Commonwealth  Games  on  its  trip  through  the  Commonwealth  Countries  of  the  world.  This  January,  the  baton  spent  one  day  passing  through  Malawi,  but  will  leave  a  legacy  of  empowerment  and  development  for  the  youth  of  this  country.       AYISE  Youth  Centre  Coordinator  and  UNICEF  Youth  Ambassador  Monica  Dzonzi  attended  the  launch  of  the  baton  relay  in  October  with  the  Queen  and  was  again  present  at  the  baton  ceremony  in  Lilongwe  on  January  24.  As  part  of  the  baton  relay,  UNICEF  has  allocated  a  grant  for  youth-­‐related  development  and  programming  in  Malawi.  The  funds  will  go  toward  constructing  a  new  youth  centre  in  Thyolo,  an  exciting  project  that  AYISE  is  thrilled  to  be  a  partner  in  to  continue  improving  the  lives  of  youth  in  Malawi.  The  youth  centre  will  offer  sports,  arts,  and  skill  programs  with  the  aim  of  reducing  HIV  transmission  and  unemployment  among  youth.  Construction  on  the  youth  centre  has  started  in  March  with  the  help  of  17  youth  volunteers  (3  from  Bangwe  and  14  from  Thyolo)  that  have  come  together  in  a  work  camp  to  work  on  the  new  building.  

Tree Planting Flourishes at Youth Centre  

Volunteer  members  and  international  volunteer  Anna  Fiume  from  Canada  have  been  working  hard  to  create  a  tree  nursery  containing  mibowa,  

moringa,  and  nsangu  trees.  The  eventual  goal  is  to  have  10,000  trees  prepared  to  be  planted,  and  some  3,000  trees  are  ready  and  incubating  in  the  nursery  so  far.    Environmental  conservation  and  climate  change,  while  key  issues  facing  Malawi,  often  do  not  get  much  attention  in  the  face  of  other  development  challenges.  Yet  the  health  of  the  Malawian  environment  is  directly  related  to  the  well-­‐being  of  Malawian  people.  Planting  trees  improves  soil  quality  and  prevents  soil  erosion,  which  in  turn  can  improve  growing  conditions  and  harvests  for  local  farmers  and  can  improve  water  quality  for  the  local  community.     So  far,  some  50  trees  have  been  planted  on  the  hill  behind  the  youth  centre.  The  tree  planting  project  is  also  a  hands-­‐on  way  for  Bangwe  youth  to  learn  about  and  share  their  knowledge  in  environmental  preservation  and  forestry.  

Library Completed at Youth Centre   The  Bangwe  Youth  Centre  has  continued  to  grow  with  another  building  finished  in  December  2013.  With  the  financial  support  of  the  Korean  National  Commission  for  UNESCO  and  donations  of  books  through  the  African  Library  Project  and  the  Marcel  Chisi  Foundation,  AYISE  constructed  a  learning  library  for  the  youth  of  Bangwe  that  will  serve  as  a  safe  and  comfortable  place  for  young  people  to  read  and  study.  It  will  open  as  soon  as  all  books  have  been  catalogued.     The  library  contains  books,  a  table  and  chairs,  and  a  librarian’s  office.  An  expansion  is  already  planned  so  that  the  building  can  accommodate  more  books  and  a  toilet.  A  path  to  the  building  for  people  with  disabilities  is  also  in  the  future  plans,  awaiting  further  funds  to  be  completed.       AYISE  is  extremely  grateful  for  the  contributions  of  our  partners  and  the  work  of  dedicated  staff  and  volunteers  who  helped  this  library  project  come  to  fruition.    

Monica (in green) on stage with the queen and other dignitaries at the launch of the baton relay

 AYISE  Newsletter,  Jan-­‐Mar  2014  |  2  

Child Labour Mitigation Project Wraps up in Mulanje   This  March,  a  child  labour  monitoring  system  projct  in  Mulanje  funded  by  the  International  Labour  Organization  and  implemented  by  AYISE  will  come  to  a  close.  The  project  aimed  to  educate  communities  in  what  child  labour  is  and  what  risks  and  negative  impacts  it  has.  Once  the  community  has  been  trained  in  child  labour  law  and  children’s  rights,  they  can  identify  children  involved  in  child  labour  so  that  they  can  receive  support.  In  Mulanje,  children  work  as  labourers  in  some  of  the  region’s  many  tea  plantations.       This  project  comes  on  the  heels  of  a  successful  two-­‐year  child  labour  mitigation  project  in  the  same  district,  also  funded  by  the  International  Labour  Organization.    

School Construction Project On the Road to Completion The  Rotary  Club  of  Kitchener-­‐Conestoga,  located  in  Kitchener-­‐Waterloo,  Ontario,  Canada,  has  provided  funding  in  order  to  construct  a  secondary  school  in  Bangwe.  The  school,  which  will  be  named  St.  Paul’s  Private  Secondary  School,  will  sit  on  a  plot  of  land  just  down  the  hill  from  the  Bangwe  Youth  Centre,  and  AYISE  expects  the  construction  to  be  completed  in  the  next  three  months  since  the  funding  agreement  has  now  been  finalized.  The  

private  school  will  offer  scholarships  to  50  orphans,  and  these  students  will  begin  their  education  this  September.     Welsh Volunteers Visit AYISE AYISE  hosted  eight  Welsh  volunteers  as  part  of  a  knowledge  and  cultural  exchange  with  Cardiff-­‐based  organization  A  LEAP  in  November  2013.  Following  a  visit  to  Wales  by  AYISE  Executive  Director  Marcel  Chisi  and  3  Malawian  youth  leaders  in  October,  the  six  Welsh  youth  and  their  two  leaders  and  spent  3  weeks  working  on  a  community  arts  project  building  a  mosaic  at  the  Bangwe  Youth  Centre  and  visited  many  of  AYISE’s  other  projects  in  the  area.  .  The  exchange  program’s  purpose  has  been  to  strengthen  global  partnerships,  participate  in  community  and  youth  training,  and  learn  about  the  governance,  history  and  culture  of  the  two  countries,  and  AYISE  looks  forward  to  continuing  this  partnership  in  the  future.    

Upcoming international volunteers AYISE  expects  some  80  volunteers  between  May  and  August  of  this  year!  We’re  looking  forward  to  welcoming:  

• 30  volunteers  from  the  SKIP  program  through  Glasgow  University,  Scotland,  who  will  be  running  health  programs  with  youth  through  the  Nancholi  Youth  Organization  

• 3  volunteers  from  Strathclyde  University,  Scotland  • 3  volunteers  from  PeaceWorks  Sweden  • 5  volunteers  from  SIW  Netherlands  • 40  volunteers  from  Culford  High  School,  in  the  

north  of  England,  to  work  on  school  construction  or  in  orphan  care  homes

Youth trained as sexual and reproductive health educators     This  January,  20  youth  centre  volunteer  members  underwent  training  in  sexual  and  reproductive  health  and  rights  (SHRH)  with  international  volunteer  Linn  Härfast  from  Sweden.  With  their  training,  the  youth  centre  volunteers  will  be  able  to  facilitate  workshops  with  children  in  local  schools  around  to  pass  on  this  knowledge  about  sexual  and  reproductive  health  and  rights.       Topics  covered  in  the  training  session  included  basic  anatomy,  how  to  prevent  transmission  of  HIV,  sexually  transmitted  diseases,  and  unwanted  pregnancies,  proper  use  of  contraceptives,  healthy  relationships,  and  human  rights.  Youth  centre  volunteers  had  plenty  of  questions  and  lively  discussions  around  the  topics.  Facilitator  Linn  says,  “The  trainings  were  eye-­‐opening  for  me  and  members  alike,  and  I’m  confident  that  they  will  be  strong  role  models  as  they  share  messages  of  sexual  health  and  safety  with  other  young  people  in  the  community.”  

 

 AYISE  Newsletter,  Jan-­‐Mar  2014  |  3  

Connecting Bangwe Youth Centre Starting  March  1,  the  Bangwe  Youth  Centre  will  be  connected  to  wireless  internet  with  financial  support  from  UNICEF.  With  this  new  connection,  an  internet  café  will  be  opened  where  volunteer  members  and  community  members  alike  can  access  the  internet  for  a  subsidized  rate.  Internet  access  adds  many  benefits  to  the  youth  centre.  It  provides  

connectivity  for  workshops,  conferences,  and  trainings.  The  new  internet  connection  will  also  improve  youth’s  technological  literacy  and  allow  them  to  open  email  addresses  and  access  information  on  critical  issues  such  as  environmental  

conservation,  sanitation,  and  youth  participation.  Finally,  the  wireless  internet  will  ensure  that  the  youth  centre  staff  can  complete  their  work  in  the  most  efficient  and  effective  way  possible!  

 AYISE and the Marcel Chisi Foundation Partner in Mzimba District AYISE  has  partnered  with  the  Marcel  Chisi  Foundation,  a  sister  organization  founded  by  AYISE’s  Executive  Director,  to  support  rural  programs  in  Mzimba  District  in  the  areas  of  employment  creation,  particularly  “green  jobs”  in  the  farming  sector,  nutrition,  enterpreneurship,  and  renewable  energy.       Through  the  CharChar  Trust,  AYISE  and  the  MCF  will  distribute  12  CharChar  Chests,  educational  toolkits  with  classroom  supplies,  and  book  from  the  African  Library  Project  in  the  Luwerezi  constituency  in  Mzimba.  AYISE  and  the  MCF  will  sponsor  30  youth  for  one  term  of  school  fees  with  a  donation  from  Councillor  Barry  Doughty  of  Cambria  County  Council  in  England.  Councillor  Doughty’s  support  has  also  provided  for  the  distribution  of  40  second-­‐hand  mobile  phones  to  village  leaders  and  teachers  to  improve  communication,  which  is  often  a  challenge  in  rural  Malawi.       Finally,  AYISE  and  the  MCF  will  distribute  sports  uniforms,  generously  

donated  by  the  Borough  of  Barrow-­‐in-­‐Furness  in  England,  to  youth  in  Mangochi,  Lakeshore  District,  and  Luwerezi  constituency,  Mzimba  District.  We  would  like  to  thank  our  partners  and  donors  who  are  making  these  rural  programs  happen!    

Current Int’l Volunteers              Linn  Härfast,  from  Stockholm,  Sweden,  has  been  at  AYISE  since  October  through  the  PeaceWorks  Sweden  volunteer  program.  As  a  capacity  building  officer,  Linn  has  run  sexual  and  reproductive  health  and  rights  training  with  volunteer  members  and  has  also  coordinated  a  growing  competition  among  members  to  raise  awareness  and  education  about  environmental  conservation  and  agriculture.  While  in  Malawi,  Linn  is  conducting  research  for  her  master’s  thesis,  which  will  be  about  the  effectiveness  of  HIV/AIDS  prevention  programs  in  sub-­‐Saharan  Africa.                  Anna  Fiume,  from  Waterloo,  Canada,  is  completing  an  eight-­‐month  practicum  with  AYISE  as  an  environmental  and  youth  development  officer  through  the  World  University  Service  of  Canada  (WUSC).  She  has  been  instrumental  in  the  tree-­‐planting  project  at  the  Bangwe  Youth  Centre  and  has  been  conducting  IT  training  as  well  during  her  time  here.  Anna’s  next  project  is  to  coordinate  the  cataloguing  of  books  in  AYISE’s  new  library,  in  conjunction  with  volunteer  members.                  Sasha  Gronsdahl,  from  Victoria,  Canada,  is  serving  as  a  fundraising  and  communications  officer  with  AYISE  for  three  months,  also  through  WUSC.  In  this  role,  Sasha  prepares  grant  applications  and  funding  proposals  for  AYISE  and  has  been  working  on  a  number  of  communications  projects  such  as  a  new  website,  promotional  pamphlets,  and  this  newsletter!  

Children will benefit from new programs in Mzimba