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Walter Nyamukondiwa in ZVIPANI
An artisan centre geared to provide trade skills such as sewing, knitting, building and agriculture to schoolchildren and the community, has been set up at Matau High School in Hurungwe.
The centre has been equipped with industrial type sewing and knitting machines, button hole makers, irons, a solar powered borehole for irrigation and a 12kV solar system.
The centre, the brainchild of Dr Tererai Trent working with Rotary Club of Harare Central, cost US$100 000.
It will train students at the school and members of the community as an economic empowerment tool.
The centre also has a fenced 3ha plot adjacent to Matau High School for horticulture production.
Presently, there is a thriving maize crop while the irrigation system is being set up.
Youths in the area welcomed the centre as a tool to empower more people and reduce poverty.
“Gaining skills for life is the best kind of empowerment that any person would need. Some may not be gifted academically but they can use gained skills to survive,” said Mr Jaison Mutenha.
Another youth, Miss Tendekai Mesa, said the centre would help to deal with challenges of child marriages and teenage pregnancies.
“We have more girls falling pregnant in our area and some of them being married off and acquiring skills for life will help reverse that trend,” said Miss Mesa.
Dr Trent, who hails from Matau Village and now lives in the United States, said her tough upbringing had influenced her decision to find resources to set up the centre.
Having fallen pregnant at the age of 14 and so knowing what the problems were, Dr Trent said education and empowerment were key in ending the scourge of teenage pregnancies and early child marriages.
“I know how difficult life is because it’s something I experienced growing here in Matau,” she said. “I fell pregnant at the age of 14 and after managing to go abroad I am duty bound to offer better opportunities for people in my area.”
Dr Trent said the Hurungwe community should also step up and ensure the project achieves the intended results.
Rotary Club Harare Central president, Mrs Chipo Nyangulu, said the centre would help empower youths with trade skills.
“The vision is to have young men and women in Matau get trade skills. The aim is to improve incomes and support the local schools and the community of Matau,” she said.
Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said the centre would be a Vocational Training Centre for the area and affordability should be considered.
“In line with Vision 2030, we are driving towards upper middle economic status and that means our schools need to be of a higher standard and what is happening here dovetails with our vision,” said Minister Mliswa-Chikoka.
Online Reporter