Youth
Youth links between Scotland and Malawi have a clear role to play as they allow young people in both countries to share ideas and advice, offer support and develop friendships that allow reciprocal learning for years to come.
Youth partnerships embody the two ethos of the SMP: people-to-people links and partnership.
The people-to-people approach is one of mutual respect and solidarity, which rejects the traditional model of wealthy countries dictating to poorer countries. Youth partnerships that are built on mutual respect, shared experiences and shared learning, are contributing to a more globally aware youth in both nations.
We know how easy it is to fall in love with Malawi, we all have! And we know how passionate our Youth members feel about Malawi, the links they have with the country and the friendships they have with Malawians. We also know that, when our Youth members meet up they find they have a lot in common and can learn from each other about how to move their links forward. That's why we make sure we have regular youth meet ups, send out Youth newsletters and hold events throughout to year to encourage our youth members to meet each other.
The SMP Youth Committee
The SMP Youth Committee was formed in September 2018 as part of a project funded by the Year of Young People National Lottery Fund.
The Youth Committee is made up of 10 young people aged 14-24 from across Scotland who all have a link to Malawi. They're all passionate about the partnership that exists between the two countries and are involved in designing and supporting events and workshops that engage other young people with the Scotland Malawi Partnership.
Over the past year, they've achieved a huge amount and will go on to do much more over the next few months as well. Find out more below about what they've been up to:
Youth Congress 2019 - Culture and Partnership
Piece in the Scotsman newspaper - "Scotland-Malawi partnership means finding long term solutions together"
Penicuik High School Malawi Day
Ninewells Community Garden open Malawi plot
Beath High School Malawi lunch
St Roch's Secondary School Malawi Day
Join the SMP as a Youth Member
Does everything you've read above sound good? Fancy getting involved with the SMP? Well the good news is that if you're aged between 14 and 24 then it's free to join us as a member! All you have to do is go to our membership page and you can apply. Luisa our Youth and Schools Officer will be in touch with you very soon after you've completed your application to tell you what happens next!
Alternatively, if you've got any questions about the SMP or getting involved, you can email Luisa directly.