The Hesed World Youth Mentorship Story in Malawi

onotinaimoudu
Sep 16
2 min read

Updated: Nov 15

Young people in Mwansangu, Malawi — *Tionge Mhone engaging with youth in Mwansangu, Malawi*

At Hesed World, we believe mentorship is a powerful tool for unlocking the potential of Africa’s young people. As part of our ongoing efforts to design an inclusive and impactful mentorship programme, we are conducting surveys across African countries.

Our goal is to ensure the model reflects the perspectives of both mentors — who bring experience, skills, and guidance — and mentees, who seek opportunities, support, and direction.

Insights from Malawi

In Mwansangu village, our Youth Delegate and Support Officer, Tionge Mhone, engaged directly with young people and community members. Their experiences shed light on the urgent need for context-sensitive solutions:

Rural realities: Over 80% of Malawians live in rural areas, where youth make up a significant share of the population (Trading Economics, 2023).
Unemployment crisis: More than half (53%) of Malawi’s youth are unemployed and actively looking for work — a rate higher than among middle-aged respondents (46–48%) (Afrobarometer, 2022).
Skills gap: 33% of young people cite inadequate training or preparation as their greatest barrier to employment.
Labour market disparities: While the national unemployment rate is 20.4%, it rises sharply to 27.5% for youth aged 15–24 and 23.0% for those aged 15–34 (IITA, 2022).

Why Mentorship Matters

These findings reveal more than statistics: they highlight the daily struggles of young Malawians navigating a labour market stacked against them.

Our visit reinforced the importance of designing a mentorship model that addresses the unique realities of rural youth — including limited connectivity, fewer professional role models, and persistent socio-economic challenges.

By grounding our survey work in communities like Mwansangu, Hesed World is co-creating solutions with those it seeks to serve. This approach ensures that our mentorship programme is practical, context-sensitive, and sustainable.

The Malawi Mentorship Survey is a call to act. The voices of Malawi’s youth remind us that mentorship is a catalyst for job creation, skills acquisition, and long-term economic empowerment.

Join us in shaping this vision:

Together, we can build bridges of support that transform potential into impact.

At Hesed World, we remain committed to listening, learning, and leading with Africa’s youth at the centre.