Online Reporter
Nkosizile Ndlovu [email protected]
150 youths from Tsholotsho District in Matabeleland North have graduated from a 10-day skills training programme aimed at equipping them with practical skills to improve their livelihoods and contribute to the local economy.
The training, conducted by Tonganyika Trust in Tsholotsho North and South, covered welding, building, fashion designing and agriculture-related enterprises.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony on Thursday, Tsholotsho South legislator and Deputy Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities Cde Musa Ncube urged young people to take advantage of skills development opportunities being availed by the Government and other organisations.
The programme is open to youths regardless of their political affiliation.
Cde Ncube congratulated the graduates and thanked Tonganyika Trust chairperson, who is also Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Cde Tongai Mnangagwa, for supporting the initiative.
“I would like to congratulate all the graduates for successfully completing their training. This is an important achievement because you have acquired skills that can help you become self-reliant and contribute to the development of your communities,” she said.
She said the training would help youths develop practical skills that could enable them to create employment and support their families.
“I want to thank Tonganyika Trust and its chairman, Cde Tongai Mnangagwa, for this initiative. Such programmes are important because they give our youths an opportunity to acquire skills, become masters of their own destiny and fend for their families and households,” she said.
Cde Ncube also urged more youths to enrol for the free courses and use their skills to establish income-generating projects.
“I urge more youths to come forward and take up these opportunities. We want to see young people using the skills they acquire to start projects, create employment and contribute to the development of Tsholotsho,” she said.
She said the programme was also helping provide youths with alternatives to drug and substance abuse by keeping them engaged in productive activities.
Another group of youths is expected to graduate on September 28 at Malanda Village in Ward 14 after completing its training.
The initiative comes as Government continues to promote youth participation in economic development through agriculture, value addition, entrepreneurship and the adoption of modern technologies.
At the inaugural Munhumutapa Day celebrations held on September 15, President Mnangagwa urged young people to venture into agriculture, value addition and the use of modern technologies to process locally produced goods.
“As youth, excellence is a component of your DNA. The warrior spirit, together with the restless, innovative character trait that runs through you, demands that you never settle for average. Work hard and make money. You must be brave, adventurous and courageous enough to make mistakes in your journey to break new ground,” said the President.
The Tsholotsho programme is expected to contribute to broader youth empowerment and economic development efforts, with the graduates being encouraged to put their newly acquired skills into practice.
