The camp targets boys aged 11 to 15 and aims at imparting knowledge on things that are affecting their daily lives as one way of preparing them for the future.
According to Mavuto Kapyepye, one of the organisers, after Mpira Village, the camp moves to Lilongwe, at Nsamba Catholic Centre (St. Johns) on Wedneday, April 12.
He said in both places the interaction with boys will start 08:30hrs to 17:00hrs .
“We are standing up for the better future of our adolescent boys in our country. Boys at the age of 11 to 15 do not get information they are supposed to be getting to prepare them for adolescence,” he said.
Kapyepye added that they want to see an informed cadre of young boys developing into responsible adults and leaders.
He further said the camps in Lilongwe and Blantyre have been organised due to pressure from parents especially from those their boys missed the first Boyz Camp.
“We are targeting young people who are ready to make a difference in the society,” he added pointing out that so far the initiative has no sponsor that is why there is a fee of MK15, 000.00 for each participant. He however said once other stakeholders come in to help the initiative will be subsidised in order to give chance to all boys in the country.
“This initiative will continue as there are new adolescents coming through every year. We also plan to introduce other thematic areas for other boyz in late teens and early twenties. Career planning seems to still be a big issue for such a group. A lot of mothers are asking us to consider similar initiative for adolescent girls, but still under consideration,” he explained.
According to Kapyepye the boys in both Lilongwe and Blantyre will be drilled in topics like adolescent health and social issues, personal hygiene, social responsibility, career planning, self-esteem and confidence building as well as financial literacy.
The facilitators of the boyz camp in both cities include Clir Noel Chalamanda a lawyer and former Blantyre City Mayor, Mavuto Kapyepye (Leadership and career coach), Chikondano Chisala Secretary General for Financial Dealers Association of Malawi and Robert Kapyepye Jnr.
