MFIs urged to invest in youths skills training

Harare Bureau
GOVERNMENT has urged the micro-finance institutions to engage the youths by not only giving them financial support but also provide skills training to reduce poverty and create employment opportunities for them through environmentally friendly practices of doing business.

This was said by the Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment Mr Francis Nhema yesterday at the Green Micro-finance Conference.

“There will be no green if the youths are not included. MFIs should be seen engaging the youths in not only through funding them but also investing in their entrepreneurial skills training.
“You (MFIs) must think locally and remember where you came from by training those with one or two Ordinary Level subjects  and then include them in the micro-finance businesses,” he said.

He also reminded the MFIs to consider the youths who do not have enough academic qualifications in their youth policies by encouraging these funders to have youth policies that embrace the majority of these youths who do not have proper qualifications in order to assist them.

Minister Nhema added that the greedy poachers who poisoned the elephants with cyanide kill to earn measly amounts for a living yet those who facilitate these activities from abroad and those who buy the ivory walk scot-free yet if our people are educated then they will understand the importance of the ecosystem in the conservation of our environment.

Minister Nhema said that the government is looking at resuscitating the country’s struggling vocational centres in terms of equipping and accommodating the youths. He said that his ministry has sourced funding from the private sector players like Old Mutual who has pledged $1 million for the country’s 47 vocational centres.

Minister Nhema also expressed dissatisfaction over the high rate of youths who have dropped out of school saying that the number is shockingly high. He said that according to latest statistics 400 000 youths have failed to access higher education and they do not have knowledge hence they struggle to survive as they are unemployed.