Online Reporter
Walter Nyamukondiwa
Mashonaland West Bureau Chief
The village business units have emerged as a strong counterpoise to the influx of young people into artisanal mining in Mashonaland West Province and are helping to keep them away from social vices such as drug and substance use, teen pregnancy and child marriages.
With about 72 VBUs spread across the province’s seven districts, there has been a marked decline in the exposure of young people to social menaces, identified as drivers in the spread of HIV.
District development coordinators (DDCs) in the province told the Mashonaland West Social Development Forum recently that community engagement and the operation of VBUs were helping to protect children, especially girls.
Sanyati district currently has seven successful VBUs, with five still being set up.
“To us they (VBUs) have been very useful in the sense that young people now have something productive to do,” said Mr Mhlanga.
“This has proved very important as they now venture into meaningful agricultural production instead of going to do artisanal mining each morning, where they are generally not safe.”
The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) in the province and the National Aids Council (NAC) organised the Social Development Forum workshop.
Mr Mhlanga said illegal mining activities and the resultant availability of large sums of money were fueling social vices such as child marriages, drug and substance abuse, prostitution and teen pregnancies.
Zvimba DDC Mr Joseph Manyurapasi said hotspots fueling social vices were mining towns and shopping centres along the Harare-Chirundu Highway.
The DDCs said they were leveraging on traditional leaders to promote healthy living and help reduce social vices, which mostly affected the productive ages.
NAC provincial manager Mr David Nyamurera said there was need for greater collaboration if social vices that were now threatening gains made by the country in fighting HIV were to be overcome.
“We are coordinating the multi-sectoral response to HIV and related challenges, and everyone needs to play their part,” said Mr Nyamurera.
Mashonaland West provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo also called for coordination of all stakeholders to raise awareness on the challenges of drug and substance abuse, child marriages and teenage pregnancies.
