An Assessment of the Impact of Economic Empowerment Interventions on Young People in Traditional Authority Chikulamayembe Rumphi District

Author(s): Ipyana Munthali, Dr. T Velmurugan, and V. Gayathri

Abstract:

Aim: The study area has several youth economic empowerment interventions implemented by partners to address the issue of unemployment but only a few young people are benefiting. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of economic empowerment interventions on young people in T/A Chikulamayembe.
Main Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess challenges as well as factors that hinder and promote implementation and sustainability of economic empowerment interventions in the study area.
Methodology: The research used a descriptive or mixed methods approach, thus employing both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The researcher collected data through several tools for the purposes of verification and triangulation, namely: FGDs, questionnaires, interviews and observation.
Results: The study findings reveal that the economic empowerment interventions had a few positive impacts on the young people that are into youth clubs in T/A Chikulamayembe on the grounds that they were not being highly engaged in those interventions as compared to those youths that did not join the youth clubs. The study further reveals that only 3% of the young people in youth clubs involved in EEI have attained average income level and have also managed to employ a few youths ranging from 1-5 in their established businesses. Challenges and factors such as corruption, inadequate implementing partners, collateral demands by financial lending institutions and less involvement of youth clubs hinders the EEI amongst the youth in the area. Study also reveals that youth need Bottom-Top approach of project identification that will contribute to their high-level participation in the skill choices that will satisfy their needs.

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