Kapyepye said this during the Boyz Camp in Blantyre where boys from the ages of 11 – 15 were undergoing lessons on adolescent health and social issues, personal hygiene, social responsibility, career planning, self-esteem and confidence building as well as financial literacy.
“There are certain things that the society has fashioned us to think around in a certain way, sometimes it overlooks important aspects. A lot of emphasis is being placed on a girl child, so we feel like there is a gap to fill because the boy child is overlooked,” said Kapyepye adding that the Camp is aimed at enhancing social responsibility and understanding various changes taking place for boys and managing them as they attain adolescence.
“We are raising awareness to boys; we are dealing with areas that affect their daily lives like understanding social dynamics. Young people should not only participate in the economy when they are getting old, they should start now by imparting knowledge in them. We need to increase participants in the economy,” he explained pointing out that young people are vital on socio-economic development of the country.
Kapyepye further said that young people especially boys engage in immoral practices in society because they lack right information and knowledge. He however said there is need for concerted effort among different stakeholders for such camps to reach to boys in rural areas.
Speaking to MBC, one of the boys Blessings Khanyanga who attended the camp said the initiative will have great impact on his future endoveours. He however commended the camp as it is putting him in the right path.
“This is a good initiative to us as future leaders to build the community; we have been lacking this initiave. Some of us misbehave in the society because we lack someone to impart the right information and knowledge in us,” he said.
The facilitators of the boyz camp include Cllr 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.
