admin
Kudzai Chikiwa, Business Reporter
THE attainment of meaningful economic growth requires innovation at community level with every citizen being involved in productive enterprise development.
Nkayi district administrator, Ms Matilda Mlotshwa, said this on Friday at the official launch of the Nkayi Community Craft Centre, which was built with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Government. The facility provides exhibition space for various handicraft products with a higher possibility for increased marketing of artefacts domestically and for exports.
“Various ways can be followed by our communities in complementing Government’s efforts to achieve the middle-income economy by year 2030 while at the same time contributing towards the attainment of global development goals,” said Ms Mlotshwa.
She said Zimbabweans should shun the colonial belief of always seeking formal employment and white collar jobs only, saying there was a wider scope for more earnings in self enterprise projects.
“Government views projects like the one we have in Nkayi as the right step towards enhancing sustainable livelihoods for communities to generate employment and improve households’ income,” said Ms Mlotshwa.
“What is needed for the country to realise and attain full economic growth is innovation, especially by those with talents. In Nkayi we do crafting. The goal of having craft centres is to help put in use local endowments in order to generate decent work for communities.”
The district administrator said locals were keen to participate in national exhibitions at which their work could be recognised and gain links with lucrative markets.
“Our crafts need to be very visible to other people. Let us not confine our crafts to these walls but let us book space in fairs like the Harare Agricultural Show, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, as well as Sadc and Comesa exhibitions to earn foreign currency,” she said.
Ms Mlotshwa said the diaspora market was ripe for handicraft products and Nkayi people could benefit from that.
“We want to commend the 36 co-operators who have pooled their resources and harnessed their varied craft skills in a bid to improve their livelihoods and create employment,” she said.
“UNDP is working in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and SMEs Development in building capacities of communities in business management skills and formalising enterprise groups into Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) of which this craft centre is one.”
The craft centre was being reopened after a decade of collapse. By last week locals had already displayed their craft and hoped to sell to tourists including those in South Africa, Canada and Netherlands.
“Currently Nkayi Craft is working in partnership with Lupane Women Centre to fully penetrate these markets.
“Our rich craft skills need to be preserved and passed on to the next generation in a business model that adds value to our local resource,” said Ms Mlotshwa.
– @tamary98.
Online Reporter