Phalombe Youth Arms Organisation (PYAO)

11/05/2026

Information Session for Youth Innovation Fund National Youth Council of Malawi

09/05/2026

Today, PYAO participated in a roundtable discussion on “The Future of Aid in Malawi: Implications for Governance and Development.” The discussions were organized and facilitated by the University of Malawi at Ryalls Hotel in Blantyre.

Selected non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders working in the governance and development sector in Malawi attended the engagement.

National Youth Council of Malawi Hlanganisa Community Fund Mastercard Foundation Oxfam in Malawi Comic Relief

07/05/2026

Earlier today, PYAO continued its mentorship with the Mulambe Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Club through sessions focused on entrepreneurial skills, specifically on how to realise their agribusiness vision of tomato production.

The club members have been equipped with essential skills that can benefit them both individually and as a group, such as dreaming big, setting goals, and viewing agriculture as a tool for empowerment and community transformation.

At the end of the day-long session, the club established a two-year vision to enhance their Savings and Loan Group, which will enable members to access loans of up to MK100,000. This is a substantial improvement compared to their current situation, where the maximum loan a member can access is only MK15,000, which is insufficient for their development.

National Youth Council of Malawi We Effect Southern Africa Plan International Malawi Oxfam in Malawi Self Help Africa WHH Malawi - Welthungerhilfe Tilitonse Foundation Comic Relief Comsip Cooperative Union Limited

01/05/2026

As the world commemorates Labour Day, Mulambe AGYW Club and PYAO were busy on a sunny Friday morning leveling the ploughed land and demarcating plots, with support from the Agricultural Extension Development Officer from Phalombe District Council’s agriculture office.

Mulambe AGYW plans to cultivate tomatoes to help adolescent girls and young women establish small businesses that will support their livelihoods and enable school-going girls to access resources more easily. Hence PYAO is supporting the initiative.

Trust the process. So far, so good.

National Youth Council of Malawi Plan International Malawi AmplifyChange Hlanganisa Community Fund Southern Africa Trust Mastercard Foundation Oxfam in Malawi

29/04/2026

Traditional Authority Phweremwe has commended PYAO for equipping his Area Development Committee (ADC) and the executive committee for the area’s youth network with knowledge and skills in the Gender Action Learning System (GALS).

He made these remarks at the end of a three-day GALS training organised by PYAO with support from AmplifyChange, aimed at building resilience and fostering a vision for improving Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) service delivery, as well as enhancing community and personal development within the Phweremwe community.

The traditional leader stated that the entrepreneurial skills gained by young people and others will help them establish businesses that can generate income, which in turn will help decrease the threat of youth labour migration, especially since their area shares border with Mozambique.

He believes that economically empowered individuals can effectively advance Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) by gaining the autonomy, resources, and influence needed to make informed health decisions, thus breaking cycles of poverty and inequality.

This was the second series of GALS training conducted, following another session held in the Traditional Authority of Maoni, which PYAO is conducting in the Phalombe district.

National Youth Council of Malawi Plan International Malawi United Religions Initiative Malawi Sexual Reproductive Health And Rights Alliance Southern Africa Trust

27/04/2026

Earlier today, PYAO attended a localisation engagement meeting organised by the Non-Governmental Organisations NGO Regulatory Authority - NGORA ) in Blantyre.

The purpose of the engagement was to brief registered local NGOs, such as PYAO, on the ongoing localisation exercise. This exercise aligns with the guidelines stipulating that international NGOs must partner with registered local organisations to implement various projects and interventions.

27/04/2026

Every journey starts with a single step. Meet the Mulambe Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Club from the traditional authority of Chiwalo in Phalombe district. Over the weekend, the club was busy ploughing the land where they plan to establish a vegetable garden to cultivate tomatoes.

PYAO is supporting this initiative to help the club become self-reliant in terms of income. The proceeds from the initiative will be invested in the club’s Savings and Loan Group, allowing members to take loans and start small businesses that will improve their livelihoods. Additionally, some of the income will be used to support school-going members of the club with resources such as exercise books, calculators, pens, uniforms, and sanitary pads.

The chairperson of the club, Racheal Matemba, states that some of the income they generate will be used to support their ongoing efforts to advocate against the trafficking of persons, particularly girls, for labour and sexual exploitation in the neighbouring country of Mozambique, which shares a border with their area.

National Youth Council of Malawi Plan International Malawi World Vision Malawi Oxfam in Malawi Southern Africa Trust We Effect Southern Africa

26/04/2026

Young people from Traditional Authority Chiwalo in Phalombe District on Saturday held their Youth Friendly Health Services (YFHS) "Meet and Greet" engagement at Nambazo Health Centre.

During the function, there were mental health talks, and young people also accessed sexual and reproductive health services.

Messages were disseminated in various ways, such as through poems, dances, and dramas.

PYAO is proud to see these innovative ways of interacting with young people.

National Youth Council of Malawi Plan International Malawi AmplifyChange Hivos Rev John Chilembwe Hospital

24/04/2026

The second day of the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) Training for young people and members of the Area Development Committee (ADC) in the Area of Traditional Authority Maoni in Phalombe district has ended successfully, with participants now able to conduct a SWOT analysis and develop their vision journeys.

The training aims to build resilience and foster a sense of vision among participants in order to improve the delivery of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights services and enhance both community and personal development.

This three-day training, supported by AmplifyChange and facilitated by several young people selected from a previous training conducted by PYAO, will conclude tomorrow.

National Youth Council of Malawi Plan International MalawiMalawi Sexual Reproductive Health And Rights Alliance Southern Africa Trust Commonwealth Foundation

22/04/2026

Giving back to the community, community service is core to community development. Meet Umodzi Youth Club, one of the youth clubs that PYAO works with in the area of Sub-traditional Authority Khando in the Phalombe district.

The club has been rehabilitating roads using its manpower and resources. Look through these pictures showing the before and after of the rehabilitation; the once impassable road now allows people and vehicles to pass without difficulty.

National Youth Council of Malawi United Religions Initiative Self Help Africa Comic Relief Mastercard Foundation

14/04/2026

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At least 90 girls aged between 10 and 14 were reported pregnant in 2025 in Phalombe District.

According to Phalombe District Youth Friendly Health Services Coordinator, Esnart Likoya Kampondeni, a further 5,972 pregnancies were recorded among girls aged 15 to 19.

Kampondeni has since called on communities, including religious leaders, to work together to address the situation.

Chairperson of the District Interfaith Action Committee, Sheikh Abdul Sitolo, condemned what he described as a culture of silence among religious leaders, warning that it is contributing to the rising cases.

By Thumbiko Nyirongo