Staff Reporter
Youths in Mutasa District, Manicaland Province, are benefitting from a series of empowerment programmes aimed at equipping them with life skills, income-generating opportunities, and protection from social ills, such as drug and substance abuse.
Speaking in an interview with this publication, ZANU PF’s Mutasa District Coordinating Committee (DCC) Chairperson Washington Ziwiwi said various initiatives have been rolled out to ensure young people in the district are meaningfully engaged and empowered.
“We have a number of projects targeting the youth, including agriculture-based initiatives like bee farming, as well as sports activities and awareness programmes. These are helping young people focus on productive lives,” he said.
Ziwiwi highlighted the introduction of bee farming in particular, which has attracted the interest of several youth groups who are now being trained in honey production.
This, he said, offers both a source of income and skills development.
“We started bee farming with the youths. Honey production is proving to be a viable source of income, and we are working on expanding this further to cover more wards,” he said.
In addition to economic empowerment, the district has embraced sport as a tool for social change.
Football and other sporting clubs have been established to keep young people occupied and help fight drug and substance abuse.
“We have youth games running, with football and other sports codes. This is helping keep the youth active, disciplined, and away from harmful behaviour,” Ziwiwi said.
He added that sports programmes were being supported by awareness campaigns conducted in schools and communities.
These campaigns focus on educating young people about the dangers of drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, and other social challenges.
Lovemore Nata, a youth from the district, said the programmes have brought a new sense of purpose among local young people.
“These initiatives have really helped us. We are now involved in productive activities like bee farming and sports. They keep us busy and away from bad influences. We are also learning about life skills through the awareness campaigns,” he said.
The youth empowerment drive in Mutasa District is part of broader national efforts to develop young people as key drivers of community development, in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 agenda.
