Phalombe District Council has pledged to tackle matters affecting young people, including issues related to Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) services within the district.
The promise was made by District Commissioner Douglas Moffat on Thursday (30/10/2025 during the 2025 Phalombe District Youth Summit, organised by PYAO with support from Amplify Change, at Phalombe TTC.
The DC responded to concerns raised by young people about being marginalised during key development discussions. Moffat urged young people to participate in community meetings where vital information about development is shared and discussed.
He announced that the council is currently constructing a Youth Resource Centre at Namasoko, which will be the second such centre in the district, following the Mpasa Youth Resource Centre. He stressed that these centres are essential for promoting and improving Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and related services among young people, noting that dedicated staff will provide services such as contraceptives.
“We are currently constructing a Youth Resource Centre at Namasoko based on a need identified by the Area Development Committee for Namasoko, as suggested by young people in their Village Action Plan. Please ensure you take part in community meetings in your respective areas of traditional authority, engage meaningfully with duty bearers, and present your needs,” he said.
Attendees of the youth summit
Traditional Authority Phweremwe praised PYAO for organising the event, saying it provided an opportunity to interact with young people and develop solutions to issues affecting them.
However, the traditional leader echoed the DC's sentiments by encouraging young people to actively participate in community gatherings, voice their concerns, and ensure their ideas are incorporated into village action plans.
“As traditional leaders, we are very pleased to have this platform. We are committed to addressing the issues our young people face. We need to protect girls so they remain in school. For young people, let’s abstain from sex; if we can’t, let’s use contraceptives available in our communities through Youth Community Based Distribution Agents (YCBDAs),” he said.
Christopher Misuku (in orange jacket) speaking with the attendees of the youth summit
One of the young attendees, Aubrey Gama, urged PYAO and other NGOs in the district to conduct these events annually.
“These gatherings are rare; we need more of these every year to interact with duty bearers and reach a consensus on solutions to our problems as young people in this district.
We would like to thank PYAO for initiatives like these. The SRHR youth-led advocacy has increased the number of young people seeking youth-friendly health services, for example, at our local health facility in Nkhulambe,” he said.
Board Chairperson of PYAO, Christopher Misuku, advised youth to realise their goals by working hard and acquiring relevant skills to improve their socio-economic wellbeing.
The summit brought together young people from across Phalombe district, where PYAO is implementing its youth-led SRHR advocacy project with financial and technical support from Amplify Change.
