Chronicle Editor
Canditar Chapanduka, Chronicle Reporter
Bulawayo-based tourism champion Mr Kudakwashe Garaipasi (33) was among the 16 outstanding youths who were honoured by President Mnangagwa during the National Youth Day celebrations in Lupane recently.
Mr Garaipasi, the founder and director of Ufurana Youth Development and Empowerment Project was awarded for his work in promoting domestic tourism.
For his efforts, Mr Garaipasi received a certificate and US$1 000. He was nominated as Outstanding Winner for the National Award on Tourism and Environment.
Other winners from the Matabeleland region were Ms Nobukhosi Nyoni, a runner-up in the Mining, Energy and Infrastructure category, Ms Thando Gwinji who won in the ICT, Innovation and Advocacy category while Ms Lisa Chitura was the runner-up.
Ms Siqinisweyinkosi Mhlanga won in the Entrepreneurship and Financial Services category.
Through the Youth Development and Empowerment Project, Mr Garaipasi offers travel and tours packages, exhibitions, workshops, modelling and tourism related programmes as a way of promoting domestic tourism in Zimbabwe.
“I won the award based on my work to ensure youth development and empowerment in all aspects of life through the workshops I carry out with the young people. I offer them tips and guide them in all aspects of life by discussing various things such as drug and substance abuse, career guidance and relationships. I also encourage them to participate in domestic tourism and take care of the environment,” he said.
“I also hold modelling sessions with the youths where they contest and we have fun out of it because I believe modelling is part of tourism. As we tour, those are some of the things I take them through. It’s not all about viewing the environment,” said Mr Garaipasi.
He said he established the organisation in 2015 and has travelled with scores of youths to various destinations across the country.
“We travel to places such as farms, villages, resorts, industries and explore different forms of tourism like historical tourism, sports, agro and industrial tourism. On Saturday I was at Terry Lion Park with youths and environmentalists who are into paper recycling and we enjoyed the day learning about the environment, recycling and drug abuse,” said Mr Garaipasi who also researches about the environment in order to gain more knowledge.
Mr Garaipasi has won the Diamond Award in the Southern region Megafest Business Awards.
Mr Garaipasi has won the Diamond Award in the Southern region Megafest Business Awards. He was also the overall winner of the Beitbridge Business Expo 2022.
“I started the organisation because I realised how important it was for youths to know their environment, have fun and mingle with others while learning because as they move around, they learn new things and gain experiences,” he said.
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