Forty-eight STEP bursary holders have graduated from Sam’s Training Village under Landirani Trust, after completing their training in carpentry and joinery, basic electronics, solar installation and repairs and tinsmithing.

The students started their lessons in February this year and graduated on June 6, 2019. This is the second cohort of students who have received the STEP bursary through Landirani Trust.

Traditional Authority M’bang’ombe expressed his appreciation to Landirani Trust for the initiative. “When we were giving this land to Landirani Trust, we were skeptical, but we are happy that the decision we made is bearing fruits,” he said.

The chief urged the graduates to go to their respective homes and make money using the skills they have acquired and improve their lives and those of their communities.

He also advised the graduating students to keep on practicing in order to improve their skills.

Senior Training Programmes Specialist for the Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA) Joseph Chikopa said it was great that there were no dropout cases.

According to Chikopa, the skills they have acquired is a calling and it signifies their second birth, since they will no longer be called by their names “you are now tailors or carpenters”.

Lena Veierskov from the European Union, who was the guest of honour at the Sam’s Training Village graduation ceremony, congratulated the graduates for completing their training.

“I hope that you have found the training interesting and useful, and that you feel prepared now for either finding employment within your respective fields or starting up your own business,” she said.

Veierskov said the European Union is committed to supporting education and training for the youth of Malawi.

“We have dedicated 168 M EUR (approximately 142 billion MK) to support secondary education and vocational education and training in Malawi from 2014-2020. As part of this support, we are implementing STEP which you and many others are directly benefiting,” she told the gathering.

STEP has the objective to strengthen Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Training in Malawi in order to increase the quality and volume of the skilled workforce and thereby contribute to the economic development of the country.

STEP, which is funded by the European Union, is partially implemented by UNESCO.