Ministry of Youth and Sports has re-affirmed that the youth should be frontrunners in promoting energy sustainability and awareness through various ways like arts.
Principal Secretary for Administration in the Ministry, Jean Munyenyembe, said this in Lilongwe during the presentation ceremony for an art competition organised by the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) in collaboration with European Union (EU) Twinning Project.
Munyenyembe said she was impressed with the artworks done by the youths that are visually stunning and also represent a deep understanding of the importance of energy access, affordability and environmental stewardship.
“If you look at the artworks made by the artist, you could see that the youth had a passion for thinking what is it that we need to be doing to ensure that we have energy everywhere,” she explained.
MERA Consumer Affairs and Public Relations Manager, Fitina Khonje, said the artworks done by the youth are a testament of creativity, talent and commitment to a sustainable future.
According to Khonje, the aim of the competition was done to create awareness about energy access sustainability and affordability.
“We wanted to engage with the youth to give them a platform to express themselves what they think and what they envision on issues to do with energy and environment and I think we have successfully done that,” she said.
“We believe that initiatives like this art contest play a critical role in shaping the discourse around energy sustainability and empowering our youth to become change-makers,” Khonje added.
EU Resident Twinning Advisor, Antoni Cassina, said such events provides a good platform on how youths’ participation in topics like energy can be put into consideration focusing on the interest of the younger generation.
Cassina added that moving forward, they will scale up the initiative because it is very important initiative when it comes to energy sustainability.
Eight youths produced eight artworks and after the evaluation process made by the jury Timothy Waluta was announced as the winner of the competition.
Ten schools which participated in the competition also received certificates during the ceremony.
By Mike Kalumbi
