More than 200 Organizations to Address Challenges to Malawi’s Future
Lilongwe, Malawi (June 8, 2016) — On June 9th and 10th, Civil Society leaders from Malawi and around the world will gather to share innovative approaches to improve their influence and impact when addressing the challenges that could impede Malawi’s promising development.
Currently Malawi is grappling with high rates of crime, childhood marriage and lacks inclusive civic participation across the country. Looming ahead in the next decade will be food scarcity and increased population levels that will also strain existing services such as education, health and the availability of jobs.
Civil society organizations (CSOs) are best-positioned to help reverse these troubling trends. The conference aims to strengthen civil society in Malawi to ensure CSOs can be strong advocates for positive change and can deliver improved services within their communities.
Conference participants range from local Malawian CSOs to international implementers and funding partners. Participating local Malawian CSOs are working within their communities to improve health, support women and children, create access to jobs, provide food security, increase access to clean water, and improve climate resiliency.
Best practices, tools and techniques specifically designed to be effective in Malawi will be shared to increase institutional capacity of CSOs. The conference will also focus on the importance of effective leadership within CSOs and the value of collaboration to improve program implementation and reach more citizens. Participants will have opportunities for networking and learning directly from each other, and specifically from 20 leading CSOs who will showcase their work.
Counterpart’s CEO, Joan Parker, said “Counterpart International has always been committed to working closely with local partners. Strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations to achieve their missions has proven time and time again to be the key ingredient in improving the quality of life for people around the world, and we are honored to offer this opportunity for CSOs in Malawi to increase their contributions to building a stronger and more durable Malawi.”
Counterpart International brings together 400 representatives from more than 250 civil society organizations and thought leaders, under the umbrella of Counterpart’s Supporting the Efforts of Partners (STEPS) Program. The “Working Together for Malawi” Conference will be hosted at the Bingo International Conference Center (BICC) in Lilongwe. STEPS, a five-year program funded by the generous support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented through Counterpart International, works with local partners to build a stronger, more effective civil society that can best respond to the challenges facing Malawi today.
The Working Together for Malawi Conference is a part of the Supporting The Efforts of Partners (STEPS) program, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) five-year initiative in Malawi, implemented by Counterpart International. STEPS is a partnership-based program striving to strengthen the organizational and technical capacities of CSOs in Malawi so they can tackle the social, economic, and environmental challenges that undermine the Malawian people’s futures.
Counterpart International helps people build better lives and more durable futures, community by community. For 50 years, Counterpart has been an innovator, changing the way people look at, and solve, global development challenges. This year alone, Counterpart is working with 150,000 leaders – including women and youth – and 3,000 local organizations in more than 20 countries around the world. Learn more at counterpart.org/our-work.
