Chronicle Editor
Andile Tshuma
MORE than 90 Bulawayo youths in business have benefited from the Government’s Covid-19 $17 million relief grant.
The 94 youths received the funds ranging between $3 000 and $5 000 which is meant to help cushion their businesses which have been affected by Covid-19 at Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo yesterday.
A total of 800 youths had applied for the grants in Bulawayo.
Government set up the relief fund to support youth-led businesses and associations to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on their operations.
The fund is being given as a grant and is meant to build capacity among youth-led businesses and registered youth organisations engaged in activities complementing the national taskforce’s relief efforts.
Such activities include manufacturing and distribution of protective materials such as face masks, sanitisers and soaps.
Some of the youths who benefited from the money which was handed to them through electronic transfers said their operations had been vastly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and commended Government’s efforts to support youth led businesses.
Ms Yemurai Damba, a businesswoman in the retail sector, said she had been affected by the pandemic as she could not travel to South Africa where she buys most of her wares including groceries and clothing for resale. She said she would use the funds to help source locally available wares which she will use to boost her business.
“This fund will be so helpful to me as a woman in business. It has been hard to keep afloat, the money comes in handy as I will use it to reduce the strain that the pandemic has brought on us as young people in business. It is particularly good that we will not have to pay back this grant, so we won’t come out of the pandemic with debts and loans to repay,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mr Nkosana Mazibisa, brand strategist and a consultant on business incubation said many youth-led businesses were ailing during the Covid-19 period. He said the grant came at an opportune time to help many youths to get back on their feet.
“This grant goes a long way to capacitate young people and to help us to innovate and scale up our businesses. Most of us have found it hard to adapt to the new status quo and a number of business establishments run by youths are on brink of collapse. Government has come through for us at the right time as this fund will give us some relief while we re-strategise,” he said.
Mr Felix Mufema of Fine Fingers Printing and Designing said his printing business would benefit from the fund but added that there was need for such funds to be disbursed quickly in light of inflation.
“We’re very grateful for the grant extended to us as a company by the government. It will go a long way in restocking and covering rentals for the office, considering this covid-19 has affected our business in a lot of ways than one. We are hoping a lot of young people will apply and get the assistance,” said Mr Mufema.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony of the Covid-19 relief fund to beneficiaries, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Judith Ncube urged the beneficiaries to innovate and shift their business models to survive beyond Covid-19 pandemic.
“To the 94 beneficiaries of this facility, may you continue to grow your business by being innovative and follow good business practice. I am appealing to all youths out there to come forth and apply for this fund so that you can contribute to the growth of our economy. May you spread the word to other youths out there as the doors are still open for their applications for funding. Government appreciates and acknowledges the role played by youths in the main stream economy which we should applaud,” said the minister.
“The Covid-19 relief fund which is given as a grant is meant to provide relief support to youth enterprises affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It is also aimed at building capacity among the youth led businesses an registered associations engaged in activities complementing the National Taskforce’s relief efforts such as manufacturing and distribution of protective materials such as face masks, sanitisers, soaps, as well as those engaged in other social supporting activities such as public awareness campaigns. The fund aims to promote innovativeness, value addition, or beneficiation among the youth led enterprises.”
Zimbabwe Youth Council provincial manager Ms Ruth Ncube said the funds will go a long way in assisting young people’s businesses. She said there was a need for young people to formalise their operations as the majority of applications received were from non-formalised entities. “Young people are doing wonderful things out there and are running successful establishments. However, it is worrying that most of the operations have not been formalised. We are urging young people to take advantage of this time to formalise operations so that they can also benefit from this scheme,” she said.
Youth Department director in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Mr Isaiah Mpofu said his ministry was working on training and financial literacy education to help youths make informed financial decisions as they continue operations in a business environment that has been disfigured by the pandemic-@andile_tshuma
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