Some people say, “The future is female.” Recent developments from PROPEL Health Malawi support this claim. Two young women, Chimwemwe Banda (29) and Amanda Sauta (27), and one male, Yohane Kampira (30), have successfully led their organizations to receive grants from the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM). All three benefited from USAID-funded PROPEL Health’s capacity building initiatives.

In July 2024, NYCOM announced a call for applications for start-up grants aimed at youth-led organizations and agricultural cooperatives. A total of 18 organizations will be funded, with a total grant of 100 million Malawian kwacha. Each organization will receive an average of 5.5 million kwacha (approximately US$3,226).

As reported by the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, the Minister of Finance, Simplex Chithyola Banda, commended NYCOM “for empowering youths pursuing agriculture with financial support,” which he says is, “crucial in boosting productivity.” NYCOM Executive Director Rex Chapota said, “The funds will play a crucial role in transforming small-scale enterprises into medium and large enterprises, benefitting their communities in return.”

Having three grant awardees out of 18 recipients demonstrates PROPEL Health’s unique role in youth development in Malawi using a combination of content and capacity building approaches. The common theme among the support these three young leaders received from PROPEL Health is the application of the Gender Action Learning System (GALS), which encourages critical thinking, drives ambition toward goals, and positively shifts power dynamics between males and females, positioning women and girls to take leadership roles to drive their goals as manifested by Chimwemwe and Amanda.

The achievement surpasses the milestone of receiving grants or the prospects of economic empowerment. It strengthens their agency to distance themselves from some of the factors that increase their vulnerability to gender-based violence (GBV) and early marriages. In Malawi, the experience of sexual violence declines with wealth, and only 10 percent of never-married women report sexual violence.

This milestone adds to the evidence of what youth, particularly adolescent girls and young women, can make possible when supported holistically and approached from a positive youth development lens. PROPEL Health commends NYCOM for its plans to complement the provision of grants with various forms of support to all 18 youth organizations.