YEF BEMOANS PERSISTANT LACK OF YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES IN ACCESSING NEEF LOANS

Youth Empowerment Forum (YEF) has bemoaned the continual lack of opportunities for youths in the country.

The organization has however singled out National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) loans as one of the windows from which the youths are failing to benefit from.

According to the organization’s General Secretary Grace Gondwe, many youths especially those from hard-to-reach areas are struggling to access the loan which is a setback toward achieving tenets in the Malawi Vision 2063.

Gondwe made the remarks during the launch of their branch in Karonga District on Monday while indicating that this far out of 495 members that the organization has, no one has been successful in acquiring the NEEF loans.

The general secretary added to say that if the country is to achieve the 2063 goal; the welfare of the youth has to be prioritized.

“The challenges we are facing are the same that those who are responsible for offering NEEF initiatives are being biased to the people they know,” Gondwe said.

Meanwhile on a recent note NEEF public relations officer Wyton Kapasule stressed that many youths are not comfortable with the numeral procedures which makes it hard for them to access the loan.

Kapasule further added that the youth groups submit loan applications without adequate documentation for the loan application to be processed satisfactorily and be approved.

Youth Empowerment Forum is mobilizing youth from at least eight districts in the country to drill them on how they can empower themselves through Agri-business activities.