Empowering Lives of the Youth with Disability by Equipping them with Vocational Skills

St John of God as an institution is dedicated to empowering youth with disabilities by providing them with relevant and comprehensive vocational skills training. In the current quarter, we have actively engaged the youth by enhancing the vocational knowledge and capabilities of 155 (123 males and 32 females) youth across three districts. These trainings were done through informal vocational training programs.

Picture above: Showcasing some of the youth receiving training in Bricklaying

Specifically, as an institution we focusing on the provision of vocational training in the following three trades: Bricklaying, Carpentry and Tailoring. The current program has 24 trainees in Bricklaying, 91 in Carpentry and 40 in Tailoring. The participants have already acquired basic and advanced skills in their trades and are set to graduate in June 2023.

Through the provision of these trainings, we aim to uplift the socioeconomic status and well-being of the trainees. Our strategy involves continuous monitoring and support, ensuring that the trainees receive the necessary tools and resources to enable them to kick-start their careers immediately after graduation. Moreover, as St John of God Malawi, we are actively reaching out to more vulnerable youth to ensure they can participate in our vocational training programs.

These programs foster independence by creating sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable youth as well as those with disabilities thus bringing about lasting transformations in their lives.