Malawi’s NGO sector is poised for change as the Forum for AIDS Counselling and Training (FACT Malawi) intensifies efforts to bridge the widening skills gap keeping many young people on the margins of development work.
On 28 June, the organisation hosted a practical Organizational Development and Management Workshop at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) in Blantyre, bringing together over 200 participants, mostly students, job seekers, recent graduates, and emerging community leaders, interested to break into the NGO space but often lacking the technical skills to do so.
Led by seasoned NGO professionals, the workshop tackled critical areas such as proposal writing, resource mobilisation, and NGO operations, deliberately focusing on real-world application rather than theory.
FACT Malawi Executive Director Pemphero Mphande said the initiative was designed to transform potential into preparedness, saying there is a clear disconnect between young people’s passion and their ability to navigate the NGO sector.
“A lot of young people have the passion and ideas, but what they lack are the technical skills that help them break into the NGO space. This workshop was about bridging that gap by giving them tools they can use to get started or grow where they already are.” Said Mphande.
Mphande expressed optimism that the workshop would empower more young Malawians to successfully establish and manage NGOs, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the country’s civil society sector.
One of the participants, Olivia Banda, described the training as timely and eye-opening, adding that it had equipped her with practical knowledge she had long been searching for.
“This workshop has opened my eyes to the importance of structure and planning in running an NGO. I now feel more confident to start my initiative,” she added.
With support from partners including Victoria Forex Bureau, Kips Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlour, Old Mutual, and LeHome, FACT Malawi now plans to hold a similar event in Lilongwe this September, as it works to build a generation of NGO-ready youth across the country.
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