Online Reporter
Obey Musiwa
Herald Reporter
The Government has partnered the private sector and schools to launch the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Proposal Writing Competition for schoolchildren, providing an opportunity for learners to demonstrate their potential to drive positive change.
It encourages learners to think creatively about sustainable development challenges and propose innovative solutions for National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
Speaking at the launch in Harare, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mercy Dinha, said the competition seeks to foster a deeper understanding of global issues such as climate change.
She said SDGs and African Union’s Agenda 2063 serve as blueprints for structural transformation in Zimbabwe.
The frameworks provide clear, data-informed targets towards poverty eradication, decent work, quality education, climate resilience, and more, aligning with national policies.
The SDGs are 17 interconnected goals adopted by the UN in 2015 to achieve a more sustainable and equitable world by 2030.
Deputy Minister Dinha highlighted that statutes and policy guidelines alone cannot generate impact without grassroots innovation.
She added that true sustainable development must be localised and owned by communities.
For example, in rural districts like Tsholotsho, cooperative farming projects under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) have thrived when school clubs partnered with village health workers to teach climate-smart agriculture techniques.
Mr Lameck Mudyiwa, chief director of human resources at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, said the Heritage-Based curriculum integrates SDG literacy.
It emphasises project-based learning, allowing learners to propose and implement small-scale initiatives, such as rainwater harvesting systems or peer-led reading clubs, he added.
These hands-on experiences not only reinforce academic concepts but also cultivate problem-solving skills and teamwork.
By aligning education reforms with the SDGs and Agenda 2063, the Ministry equips learners to address global challenges through local action.
In a speech read on his behalf by UNICEF country representative Mrs Etona Akole, UN Country Coordinator Mr Edward Kalon stressed the need for initiatives like the SDG Competition to drive further action.
He noted that only 17 percent of SDG targets have been met so far, and expressed hope that this competition will propel greater achievements towards the SDGs.
Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz) economist Mr Tamuka Mukura expressed excitement about seeing innovative projects that address real-world challenges.
He said they expect learners to demonstrate creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as they develop solutions to sustainable development challenges.
Competition timeline includes several stages.
The first stage is orientation, where participants will learn about SDGs using detailed guidelines, research, questionnaires, discussions, and observations.
The second stage involves proposal writing, with primary school learners required to write 1 000 to 1 500 words and those from secondary writing 2 500 to 3 000 words.
Learners may use pictures, graphs, maps, and illustrations to support their submissions. The third stage is submission, where all entries, whether typed or handwritten, must be stamped by school heads by July 20.
Unstamped entries will be disqualified. Finally, independent panels will adjudicate the submissions, aligned with SDG indicators, and the best entries at provincial and national levels will be awarded.
