Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
YOUTHS have been challenged to move beyond dialogue and take practical action in addressing challenges affecting them, including economic exclusion, climate change, digital exclusion and health.
Speaking at the Youth Collective Action for Social Transformation (YCA4SoTra) National Youth Indaba in Harare yesterday, Zimbabwe Youth Council chief executive officer Mr Brian Nyagwande said the two-year programme had strengthened the capacity of 40 youth-led organisations drawn from across the country.
Mr Nyagwande said the programme had provided youth organisations with skills and support to improve their operations and participate meaningfully in national development.
“The YCA4SoTra has been more than just a programme. It has been a journey,” he said.
“We have worked with 40 youth-led organisations, providing the tools, skills and support needed to transform grassroots youth organisations into functional youth departments and advocates.”
Mr Nyagwande said provincial engagements conducted under the programme have provided young people with platforms to highlight challenges affecting their communities.
“Through our provincial engagement, we have listened. We heard about the dreams that you fuel and the barriers that frustrate you. We listened as you spoke about unemployment and economic exclusion.
“We heard your concerns about climate action. We understood the complexities of digital exclusion and the very real struggles related to health and well-being,” he said.
Mr Nyagwande said the National Youth Indaba was a culmination of the engagements and provided an opportunity for young people to develop collective recommendations for policymakers.
“This is the moment where we move from listening to action. It is the bridge that connects the powerful voices from our communities with the corridors of power,” he said.
Mr Nyagwande said meaningful youth participation was a fundamental right and a prerequisite for sustainable national development.
He called on youth organisations to work together in addressing challenges affecting young people and said no single organisation, Government ministry or individual could resolve the challenges alone.
“The challenges we are here to discuss — youth empowerment, climate resilience, health and governance — are complex and interconnected. No single organisation, Government ministry or individual can solve them alone. This is a call for collective action,” he said.
He urged youths to actively participate in discussions, share their experiences and build networks that will strengthen their ability to influence policy and development processes.
SAYWHAT executive director Mr Jimmy Wilford said the YCA4SoTra programme began two years ago with the identification of 40 youth organisations from 10 districts across the country.
He said some of the organisations were initially unregistered and lacked formal structures but have demonstrated a commitment to addressing challenges in their respective communities.
