Tools for Self Reliance is helping young people in Malawi get the skills they need to start up in business. The Mikolongwe vocational school in Chiradzulu was established in 1997. It gives young people the technical and basic management skills needed to start up in business.

The school in Mikolongwe is a lifeline for the local economy. In the rural south extreme poverty is exacerbated by food insecurity, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and widespread unemployment, which limits the opportunities available for the region’s youth to earn a living.

But the Chiradzulu centre has problems of its own, not least the availability of good-quality tools. So Tools for Self Reliance has teamed up with it to address the problem.

What is great about the project are the extra inputs the centre staff bring. As well as the vocational training students get to improve their all-round skills so when they graduate there are added benefits for their communities. The local community in Chiradzulu benefits too, as it has occasional access to computers and libraries at the centre.Luke Caley, Programme Officer

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