STORY: Malawian youth hail Chinese company for job opportunities, skills transfer
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 18, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:25
LOCATION: NKHOTAKOTA, Malawi
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Kaphatenga-Benga Road project
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JUMA MATIKI, Human resources manager
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EMANUEL GWAZANTINI, Health safety and environment manager

STORYLINE:

Malawian youth employed by China Railway 20th Bureau Group Corporation Limited (CR20) in the 60-km Kaphatenga-Benga Road project in Malawi have hailed the company for creating job opportunities and transferring skills to them.

The Chinese company has promoted qualified Malawians to senior management positions, a very motivating development for them, several young Malawians said in an interview with Xinhua at Benga in the lakeshore district of Nkhotakota, where more than 350 professional, skilled and non-skilled Malawians are carrying out various roles to implement the road project.

One local employee entrusted with a senior position is Juma Matiki, who is the human resources manager, responsible for recruitment and administration.

According to Matiki, there are more than 400 Chinese and local employees working on the project, with local workers making up 85 percent of the workforce.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JUMA MATIKI, Human resources manager
"Through this project, a lot of people have learned a lot of skills especially the ones we found in this area. They have learned carpentry, steel-fixing, bricklaying and some other skills they did not have before they came to this project."

Emanuel Gwazantini, health safety and environment manager responsible for ensuring on-site safety, values the opportunity to expand his knowledge.

According to Gwazantini, he has learned new safety measures through CR20's plants and equipment, including the sophisticated plant for asphalt production that the company has on-site.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EMANUEL GWAZANTINI, Health safety and environment manager
"I am learning new risks. I am learning new management measures that I can take to make sure that people are safe."

The Kaphatenga-Benga Road project is crucial for Malawi as it connects two lakeshore districts of Salima and Nkhotakota in the central region. It also connects to the northern region through Mzuzu City, where the road feeds into M1, Malawi's backbone road stretching to the country's northern border with Tanzania.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nkhotakota, Malawi. 
(XHTV)