When the Minister of Finance, Hon. Chithyola Sed Banda, launched the Youth Agricultural Cooperative Grant Programme in December 2024, it came with a bold promise: to put real money in the hands of youth cooperatives and let them lead from the ground up.

That promise is now taking shape in Mzuzu, where the Citizen Impact Organization-CIO’s Mtende Youth Cooperative is making remarkable progress. With support from the National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM), the cooperative has successfully launched a honey project that is transforming lives by empowering unemployed youth to become self-employed.

The initiative is more than just a business venture; it is equipping young people with practical skills in beekeeping and honey production, opening new doors for self-reliance. The cooperative has already set its sights on growing into a recognized honey brand in Malawi, while at the same time contributing to community development, economic growth, and collective resilience.

“The grant will empower unemployed youth to become self-employed, and we expect to have a thriving honey company by the end of the project,” said Mphatso Ngwira, CIO spokesperson.

This story from Mzuzu demonstrates the real potential of youth-led initiatives to drive economic transformation. By investing directly in youth cooperatives, NYCOM and its partners are building a pathway to a more self-reliant and economically vibrant Malawi.