14 January 2011: Hot off the plane I head for the smart radio and television studios of the Timveni youth media project and some tough questioning by a very smart teenage presenter called Heather.

The subject is Plan's Because I am a Girl campaign. The studio, full of the Timveni project team (mostly girls), and the facilities would put some small city television and radio services in the UK to shame. The questions come thick and fast: Why Because I am a Girl? What makes it different? Will boys benefit too? How are Plan countries responding in terms of raising cash?

All the questions are delivered with a serious charm and no notes. Well established TV presenters had better watch out in the years ahead as the graduates of this project enter the media market.

Youth media project

Nigel is interviewed by Heather from Plan Malawi's Timveni project.

The Timveni project was inaugurated in 2006 by Plan Malawi with funding from Plan Sweden and UNICEF. The aim is to give a voice to many of Malawi's young people, who make up some 54% of the population. It uses radio extensively with its programmes being transmitted on Malawi national radio and is branching into TV too.

The ambition is to be the first independent operation in Malawi to get a licence to set up its own fully fledged radio station as well as making more TV programmes on all the big issues facing young people.

The work of the Timveni team is also being integrated into schools and youth organisations and has become a conduit for the views of children to be heard through a youth advisory council which reports to the President.

Let it be heard

The plan now is to integrate the Sister to Sister programme funded by UNICEF into one super media project focusing on girls issues and run as an independent entity.

Timveni means "Let it be heard" and there is every sign these confident young girls who run it will be broadcasting loud and clear across Malawi for years to come and in a style which will set a benchmark for youth media inaugurated by Plan.

It was a short visit but the confidence of girls I met was palpable. These will be some of Malawi's leaders of the future.