‘Youth economic participation to be supported’
YOUTH participation in the economy through innovation will continue to be supported by Government, Permanent Secretary for Youth Development and Vocational Training Mr Solomon Mhlanga told the annual youth desk workshop in Harare recently.
More youth focal persons need to develop programmes and initiatives as well as identify opportunities for youths in their sectors.
“Our programming on youth development should, therefore, now focus on interventions that impact positively on the livelihoods of young people, job creation, and industrial growth,” said Mr Mhlanga. “We are looking at a constituency of more than four million people who are on the youth desk; these are from the ages of 15 to 45, and we need to capacitate them to move this country forward towards the Vision 2030 of an upper-middle income society.”
Mr Mhlanga urged all youth desks to come up with innovative ways to fight drug and substance abuse among youths.
“We want to empower youths in all 10 provinces so that they can stop drugs and be productive on the ground, especially in urban areas where youths are taking drugs,” he said.
Zimbabwe Youth Council director Mr Brian Nyagwande said the council was mandated to provide initiatives to youths.
“We want to make sure that we get information in terms of what each ministry is doing for young people so that they receive Government initiatives, and also to make sure that every ministry is represented so that we can empower our youths,” he said.
Agriculture youth desk programme coordinator, Mr Nickros Kajengo, said they were encouraging more youths to embrace agriculture as it brings a good return if done well. Under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, a number of youth empowerment initiatives have been started. For instance, youths have been mainstreamed in input distribution, they also received over 50 tractors, and assisted in launching village business units through nutritional gardens.
Mr Kelvin Bako, from the youth desk of the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, said they had many opportunities that young people can benefit from.
“We have abundant activities such as honey production, so the onus is on us as youths to take up the opportunities,” he said. “Let us work hard and become better versions of ourselves.”