Dear Esteemed Reader,
We are in August 2023 and it is a very challenging time. As we were closing July 2023, we observed the resurrection of the fuel queues and messaging on fuel scarcity. This is a worrisome development as it challenges the very ability of development. We have also noted an increase in the food basket, and the source of income continues to be limited. We observed a report of over 91% debt increase and high levels of unemployment. These are all worrying and challenging situations. Additionally, we observe the commodity prices increasing, and maize is around MWK 35,000. These might be challenging, but we need to find a way out. Malawi is a country with lots of water and we observe government efforts to do irrigation. These issues need to be expanded to various places across the country.
August 2023 is the time when young people are on holiday. Others have written their Malawi School Certificate of Examinations and are now awaiting their results. To all of you, we say that you should enjoy the holidays responsibly. We do not need to engage in casual sex or abuse of drugs and substances. Protect yourself and ensure that you plan to go back to school or prepare for tertiary education. You are the future of Malawi and the world; therefore, your care on these issues matters. While children are on holiday, we have many cultural events and activities, especially the right to passage for boys and girls, where initiation camps have been organized. We urge those involved in such issues to seriously consider the timing of such events. It would be absurd for you to tell us that children are still in the camps as schools open. We need our children in school.
We have the International Youth Day (IYD) on 12 August 2023. What are our plans this year? We need to celebrate this day responsibly and effectively. This year, the IYD will be commemorated under the theme ‘Green Skills for the Youth. Towards a Sustainable World’. It is such a great theme that we all have to support it to develop the much-needed green skills. We need to ensure that we create a sustainable world by ensuring that the youth are engaged in many environment related interventions. We need a serious approach to the creation of a sustainable environment as a nation. We wish the youth well as they are creating such an environment.
Have a happy August 2023!
