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Excellencies
Members of Parliament
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
I have the honor and privilege to wholeheartedly accept with open arms the noble position of London Political Summit Ambassador for the Republic of Malawi and the entire SADC Region. This is an opportune time to be appointed when the whole world and Africa in particular is coming to terms with both better knowledge of the new disease and the negative economic impact and mental health consequences of Covid-19.
It would be unfortunate of me not to mention how in the midst of an unpredictable political climate, there was a historical and peaceful transition of power, making our past and current President the first recipients of the Uhuru/Ralia Peace accord award. A Historical achievement for our nation.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the youth in the SADC region and more specifically in Malawi, have struggled with issues that stem from living in a country where approximately 50.7% (world bank) of the population lives below the poverty line and is still heavily reliant on the agricultural sector. So, it is no surprise that the pandemic exposed the gender, economic and information disparities that are within the country. With the youth being forced out of their normal academic routines, it became increasingly difficult for households to sustain families and they had to go out and find means to provide for themselves, but even then, opportunities are limited. In the case of young girls, some went off to be married, as a result their families have one less mouth to feed. With the hike in teen pregnancies, it has been evident that there is a serious lack of accessibility to information on sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), all this is very likely to hinder the girl child’s swift return to school if at all they do return.
An issue that cannot be ignored is the shadow pandemic in the SADC region, gender based violence (GBV) . In countries like South Africa for example where they had a nationwide lockdown, there was an increase in the number of cases reported because young girls were stuck home with their abusers. There is a serious need for people such as ourselves to intervene to give these girls and women the support they need and ensure that justice plays its role in bringing perpetrators to book.
The current economic situation in the SADC region heavily affected by the covid_19 pandemic and with some of the youth being forced out of employment or school, it is no surprise that the general state of mental health has taken a downward spiral with reports of there being a 57% upsurge in suicide cases in Malawi since 2019 (as reported by the nation) .
In regard to the economic disparities, it has been evident with only a few schools, mostly urban areas in the SADC region have been able to provide online learning during the course of the pandemic, not only because they can afford to, but also because they perceive that their students have access to communication technology, leaving all those that don’t behind academically. As you can imagine, it has been extremely discouraging for those without access to communication technology to see and know their peers are getting ahead while they are left behind, most likely attempting to participate in the piece jobs for their survival.
I see my role as an ambassador is to devise plans and strategies of a Malawi and SADC that is past this era. To address some of the issues I have highlighted, it is first of all important that we ensure that all boys and girls are staying in school until the completion of their secondary studies. More institutions offering vocational training must be established and made accessible to the youth so they can build their skillsets making them more employable and/or giving them a foundation for business. The youth should be made aware of the SRHR services that are available to them and more funding should go into the organizations providing such services , especially the youth led ones, so that they are not only widely available but also affordable to a person living below the poverty line. Technology and internet access should be made a priority, the world is moving at a fast pace, we cannot continue to leave people behind. It is important that we find ways to make technology more accessible, the youth in Malawi did well with the data must fall campaign but there is much more work to be done. I fully intend to make my role here one of pivotal importance by shedding light and assisting in the rectification of these issues.
However, as determined and focused as I am, I shall make sure that London Political Summit is recognized as a new partner in National Development in Malawi and the SADC Region. Again, it should be appreciated that our President His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Chakwera will next year assume the epochal position of SADC Chair and this will strongly support my role as an Ambassador.
In this regard, I shall dedicate my time and energy in assisting our State President and the entire SADC Sub-region in creating a conducive environment for the youth. As for the challenges we have faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, together we shall overcome.
Let me rest my case by highlighting that the youth have indeed been and are still struggling, but I am optimistic that change is underway and I have strong hope for a SADC that will come out of this stronger and more united.
Thank you for your attention
God bless