Staff Reporter
Youth in Mashonaland East Province are looking to the future with renewed hope after becoming beneficiaries of the Presidential Heifer Pass-On Scheme, an initiative aimed at empowering young people economically.
Last Friday, 70 youths from the Province received heifers at the Grasslands Research Centre in Marondera. This event marked the latest milestone in a series of similar programs aimed at empowering marginalized communities across Zimbabwe.
The scheme, which is part of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s broader empowerment drive, seeks to provide sustainable livelihoods through livestock farming.
Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr. Anxious Masuka urged the beneficiaries to treat the initiative with the seriousness it deserves.
“I am urging our beneficiaries to properly look after the cattle and not to misuse them by selling to butcheries, this initiative is meant to empower youths so that they are able to contribute to the growth of our country’s economy as well as to improve the food security of Zimbabwe,” Dr Masuka said.
Echoing similar sentiments, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Tino Machakaire highlighted the importance of the training that preceded the handover.
“I know most of the beneficiaries have knowledge since they went through some training, which is very important, I am very confident that the Government is going to witness tangible results through the utilization of the heifers effectively,” Machakaire remarked.
Mashonaland East Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Senator Dr Apollonia Munzverengwi, praised the initiative and emphasized the importance of productivity.
“We are happy as a Province that we have received our share, and we are now going to focus on productivity, I challenge all young farmers benefiting from this program to take advantage of it to improve their lives as well as to showcase the skills they received in various trainings,” Dr Munzverengwi highlighted.
ZANU-PF Mashonaland East Provincial youth chairperson, Cde Isaac Taskani expressed gratitude on behalf of the beneficiaries.
“We thank our President for remembering us and we are forever grateful for this gesture meant to empower us. For many of the young recipients, the heifers represent more than just livestock; they are a stepping stone to a better future, improved livelihoods and an opportunity to contribute to the country’s economic growth,” Taskani said.
Meanwhile, the scheme operates on a “pass-on” model, where beneficiaries are expected to pass on offspring from the heifers to other young farmers, thereby creating a sustainable cycle of empowerment. This approach is designed to foster a spirit of cooperation and community development among the youth.
The program, which will be replicated in all of the country’s Provinces, is seen as a significant step towards inclusive economic growth and youth empowerment in Zimbabwe.
As the initiative rolls out across the country, the success of these young farmers in Mashonaland East will be closely watched, serving as a litmus test for the effectiveness of the Presidential Heifer Pass-On Scheme in uplifting Zimbabwe’s youth and fostering sustainable agricultural development.
