Seke’s weapon against idleness

The battle is to ensure that they realise profits and not lose to other co-operatives run by elderly women.
Women and youth groups are making a living from sewing clubs, poultry and gardening.
The projects are funded by Zimbabwe Entrepreneurs Youth in Action to make sure that they are self-sufficient and contribute to national development.
The co-operative is one of the many youth self-help projects in this part of the country which has no mines, farms or job opportunities.
After leaving school, youths are forced to move into Harare in search of jobs, but with the economy still struggling to get on its feet they have been forced to track back to Seke to either herd cattle or do vegetable gardening.
“When the chance was presented to us by Zeya president Mr Munyaradzi Mashambe Maworesa who is also from this area, my nine friends and I quickly grabbed it and we formed the co-operative.
“This is the third batch of birds that we have produced and we have managed to repay our premiums without problems.
“We are grateful to the Maworesa Community Projects and the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment for availing to us such empowerment programmes,” he said.
Mrs Mercy Katsvere also a beneficiary of the empowerment programmes said: “The sewing club has ensured that I can pay school fees for my three children.
“Their father died four years I go and I have to fend for them.
“The empowerment programmes have improved the lives of the people who now have something to do. This has reduced crime in the area.
“Youths now have soccer and netball tournaments in addition to the projects and that has helped to keep them away from vice. Surely, this is the only empowerment programme that we can have in this area were we do not have large mines or farmers.'”
Zeya is an association for indigenous young entrepreneurs already in business and seeks to mobilise unemployed young people and increase their participation in the country’s business sector.
But why the inclusion of women?
Cde Maworesa said: “I discovered that women and youths suffer the same problems in the area and that’s why I decided to also include them in my programmes.
“The youth programmes are coming through Zeya while some friends and I are helping these women realise their dreams under the Maworesa Community Projects.”
He said young people should take full responsibility of their courses in life and not let others decide on their behalf.
This is what has caused so much failures in projects as the young people have no buy in into the projects.
“With youths contributing up 67 percent of the population it is critical that they are empowered.
“With the indigenisation programme going on, the youths in rural areas are likely to be left behind if they do not claim their space now.
“My focus is on youths in rural areas. I feel they do not have the same opportunities than their counterparts in the urban areas get.
“I feel they lack basic information, which is critical for their entry into means of production.
“This means that they are sidelined whenever there are opportunities for empowerment in the indigenisation programme.
“Zeya’s target is to give them information and assist them in coming up with fundable business plans,” he said.
He added that the advent of the community ownership schemes and the US$11 million Youth Fund availed by Old Mutual was a step in the right direction but needed to be accessible by youths in rural areas.
Cde Maworesa commended Government for such an empowerment drive saying this was a step in the right direction.
He hails from Seke and has made a point that youths in the area have access to the information.
Through Zeya, he said, they are in the process of teaching youths how to write and present a business plan.
“The missing link in the empowerment of youths in the country and in rural areas in particular, is that young people do not have information.
“Only a few have applied for the youth fund with the bulk coming from urban areas,” he said.
He added: “Upon realising that these problems are also affecting women, we have decided to include them as the condition of the youths is usually a reflective of what is going on the woman folk.
“As such we have started self help projects for youth and women in piggery, poultry, sewing and gardening.
“We are helping them to write business plans so that they can access empowerment programmes.
“Training programmes are also on going to ensure that when they receive the money they can invest it wisely and be able to repay their dues.”
Cde Maworesa said that the organisation would continue to provide youths with the requisite knowledge for young people.
To ensure the youths are occupied during their spare time, Cde Maworesa initiated a soccer trophy named Maworesa Trophy sponsored to the tune of US$5 000.
He said it was high time the youths desist from being used in political violence, as violence did not help improve their welfare.
“Our youths and women have the energy and are hungry for empowerment thus Government should come up with strategies that are inclusive of them.
“We are in the process of mobilising more sewing machines and chicks for more projects.
“Youths should not allow themselves to be used in violence. The President (Cde Mugabe) has spoken against violence and that should be a warning to young people. They should engage in programmes and projects that help Zimbabwe in the future.
“They should desist from the pull-him down syndrome but promote and consolidate the position of young people in politics and development.
“They should be more united and move as a force if they are to meaningfully participate in national development.”
He urged Government to reconsider the community ownership scheme to ensure that certain companies cover whole provinces or many districts, as some areas do not have the minerals of large companies to participate in the ownership schemes.
“We are worried for people in areas like Seke as there are no companies.
“They will never benefit from community share ownership schemes.
“Their problem can only be addressed if companies are made to cater for large areas that currently do not have large corporates and or mining companies,” he said.
Turning to sanctions, he said, the illegal embargo was affecting the youths more, the majority of whom are still trying to discover themselves.
“These sanctions have affected our youths big time by reducing availability of jobs and training opportunities and other empowerment programmes,” he said.