Lilongwe, Malawi – Young professionals, development enthusiasts in Malawi, comprising top government officials, private sector and civil society leaders, embassies, media and Cohort I Public Service Fellows gathered at the Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) on the morning of 9 May 2025, for the official launch of the Public Service Fellowship Program.
Co-hosted by Emerging Public Leaders of Malawi (EPL Malawi) and the Government of Malawi, this momentous occasion, ceremoniously marked the launch of the Public Service Fellowship Program, a transformative initiative of Emerging Public Leaders designed to create a network of young and ethical public service professionals, to contribute to the drive for stronger public sector institutions in Malawi and across the continent.
The guest of honour at the event, the Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Colleen Zamba, challenged the Fellows to uphold ethics, accountability, and integrity to improve public service delivery in the country. She encouraged them to take every component of the program seriously, to make the best out of it, gain valuable soft and hard skills to enhance their employability, and most importantly, to contribute to improved public service delivery in Malawi.
“Government recognizes the need to invest in young people and young professionals to develop high-performing public service professionals with the right mindset to serve Malawians and manage public resources responsibly and accountably”, said Zamba.
Chairperson of Emerging Public Leaders of Malawi, Commissioner Arthur Chibwana, said the ultimate goal of the Public Service Fellowship Program is to build a strong cadre of public service professionals who prioritize national and public service over personal interests.
Chifuniro Matope, a Cohort I Fellow, placed at the Ministry of Health, mesmerised the audience with her dexterity in poem composition and recitation. “Leadership is more than a title, it is a call to serve, to sacrifice and above all to remain true even when it hurts” read one of the lines in her poem titled, “I am a Leader”.
The event culminated in the symbolic unveiling of EPL Malawi’s contextualized Public Service Fellowship Program Curriculum, a comprehensive training structured on EPL’s unique responsive program model and designed in collaboration with the Government of Malawi and the Malawi School of Government, by Zamba. This action marked the official inauguration of the Public Service Fellowship Program, and a pledge of all partners toward continued collaboration and a commitment to accountability, good governance, inclusion of young people in leadership, and, above all, ethical public service delivery.
Following the ceremony, distinguished delegates networked, exchanged ideas, took photographs, and created lasting memories with the first Cohort of Public Service Fellows, identifiable by their unique scarves embroidered with the program name. This official launch comes mid-way through their fellowship, which began in September 2024. Already, their poise and resolve in their training and workplaces have demonstrated their readiness to serve, innovate, learn and lead in the public sector.
The launch of the Public Service Fellowship Program is a beacon for the empowerment of young professionals, and a milestone in the country’s journey towards an efficient, inclusive, and ethical-ready public sector in Malawi.
