FOCESE Director, Christie Banda said this on Tuesday after officially opening a day-long workshop on budget tracking at Nchalo, saying that the gathering will strengthen the youth's capacity to demand quality services from duty bearers.

"We are drilling the youth to understand the budget and be able to follow the implementation of development projects to make sure that communities are receiving standard services," Banda said.

She added that time is now ripe for duty bearers in the district to embrace the youth's views so that all planned activities are done in the best interest of the people.

Banda said, “We hope after this training, the youth will be motivated and energized to lobby for better services thereby transforming lives of the rural poor.”

The sentiments come as four big development projects in Nsanje district; namely, Mbang'ombe Clinic, Nyamadzere Girls Hostels, Phokera Police Unit, and Nsanje Youth Centre are incomplete and of sub-standard.

One of the youth Falesi Jimu from the area of Traditional Authority  Mbenje has asked office bearers to open up to them mainly when the youth are looking for vital information on how development resources are being managed.

Nsanje DC Douglas Moffat says his office has instituted an investigation to find out on why the projects are not yet completed.

"We will unearth the dishonesty. As a council, we have agreed not to start any new projects until the old ones are finished with the quality they deserve,” Moffat said.

Reports of unfinished projects are common in Lowershire as Chikwawa district.