Hon Mudarikwa Simbaneuta
Conrad Mwanawashe Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT, through the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment has joined hands with the International Labour Organisation and local banks to design and implement practical programmes to create employment opportunities and economically empower rural communities. The smart partnership between the Government, private sector and development agencies to create employment and empower the youth, has given fresh impetus to the efforts to reduce widespread poverty.
ILO has developed and provided technical support to the Government in implementing the Skills for Youth Employment and Rural Development programme which has helped to demonstrate a working model for Government and its social partners-workers and employers. The programme is being sponsored by the Government of Denmark through DANIDA.
Implemented in 30 districts in 9 provinces of the country, the Skills for Youth Employment and Rural Development programme is focusing on improving the sustainability and quality of jobs as well as income in selected economically viable sectors for Training in Rural Economic Empowerment.
Speaking in Mutoko on Wednesday after touring some projects being carried out by beneficiaries of the Skills for Youth Employment and Rural Development programme, the Deputy Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Mathias Tongofa said Government adopted the TREE and Informal Apprenticeship models as working forms for addressing the youth empowerment needs and solving the country’s rising youth unemployment challenge.
“As the results in the districts where the project is being implemented demonstrate, more youths are being empowered for wage or self employment. We will take up the task of influencing the government to allocate the requisite resources from the fiscus as well as to encourage the utilization of funds at community level for the benefit of young people in those communities,” Deputy Minister Tongofa said.
The approach combines the objectives of increasing employment opportunities for youth while at the same time improving industry productivity and economic growth across a variety of sectors. The first intake of the Skills for Youth Employment and Rural Development programme in 2011 had a recruitment of 60 beneficiaries and a further 120 recruited in 2012 are awaiting graduation.
Some of the beneficiaries hailed the Government and its partners porgramme for transforming their lives through practical empowerment.
One of the beneficiaries, 33-year-old Ernest Chamanga said the empowerment programme had changed his lifestyle.
“I come from a poor family and never thought that one day I would drive a car but I have now become a proud owner of a truck from proceeds from my farm. I am now a successful horticulture famer,” said Chamanga.
“I would like to thank the Government and partners for creating employment for us. You have also helped us with access to micro finance. Many young people are unemployed and I am appealing to Government and partners to expand the programme,” he added.
Minister of State for Mashonaland East Simbaneuta Mudarikwa said the programme required support and called on the corporate sector to work with Government in establishing projects that empower communities.
“This is a pro-poor programme which needs our support. There is need for Government, the private sector and development partners to work together. We can succeed with a strong partnership,” said Minister Mudarikwa.