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Michelle Moyo, [email protected]

YOUTH Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister Tino Machakaire says more than 75 000 youths have been empowered through various skills training and the decentralisation drive will ensure that more youths and communities have skills that are underpinned by the entrepreneurial drive.

The Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa is working towards achieving Vision 2030, which seeks to fundamentally transform Zimbabwe to an empowered upper-middle income economy.

Furthermore, the Government, as outlined in the National Development Strategy 1, places significant emphasis on its initiatives, particularly those aimed at alleviating poverty among youths. This includes investing in vocational training, funding youth empowerment projects, and generating employment opportunities.

Speaking in Parliament recently, Minister Machakaire noted that some youths are idle and focus their energy on drug and substance abuse.

Therefore, he said the Ministry is looking at starting training of the National Youth Service and to this end, is developing a national orientation manual to be used in all provinces to keep the youth away from drug and substance abuse.

“Under the programme, youth are encouraged to participate in the development of their communities through the construction and rehabilitation of schools, clinics and other infrastructure. The programme keeps youth engaged and away from drug and substance abuse.

“Further, challenges emanating from drug and substance abuse which include vandalism, indiscipline and other youth delinquencies will be addressed through intensive education”

He also emphasised that Vocational Training Centers, which offer competency-based training to young individuals while integrating entrepreneurship and business skills, serve as another crucial avenue for empowering youth.

“To date, more than 75 000 young people have been empowered by the skills training initiatives being undertaken by the ministry and the decentralisation drive will ensure that all young people and communities have skills that are underpinned with the entrepreneurial drive.

“The Micro Bank provides funding for youths projects which aid in keeping the youth busy and off the streets. The Ministry, through the Youth Fund, offers project loans to the youth as individuals and in groups for youth empowerment,” said the minister.

The financial institution was set up as a micro-banking unit by the Government in 2018 specifically to support different youth initiatives to achieve economic empowerment and financial inclusion.

The bank also mobilises youths through financial literacy and project proposal training so that they present bankable business proposals to access funding.