Online Reporter
Mthokozisi Ncube
A SIX-MEMBER Zimbabwean delegation from the Mambo Jephtha Foundation will travel to Lusaka, Zambia, next month for a youth empowerment initiative aimed at tackling drug and substance abuse.
The event, scheduled for October 24 at OYDC in Lusaka, is being organised in partnership with Zambia’s Margarita Foundation, with more than 1 000 people expected to attend. At least 80 percent of participants are expected to be young people.
Building the government’s anti-drug policy, the delegation is the latest cog in Zimbabwe’s relentless war against drug and substance abuse.
It will be led by foundation founder and chairperson Jephitar Mambo and will include secretary Lynne Gamuchirai Gate, events coordinator Chipochashe Nyakudzuka, committee member Lizzy Ruzive, information and publicity officer Colleta Bell and graphic designer and photographer Pardon Mbulawu.
Mambo said the campaign would go beyond simply warning young people about drugs by offering positive alternatives through mentorship, skills development and opportunities.
“We believe that young people need more than just warnings about drugs. They need opportunities, mentorship, skills and positive environments that can actually give them a reason to choose a better path,” he said.
The Zimbabwe-based foundation focuses on youth empowerment through sport, education, skills development and community initiatives, while contributing to efforts to combat drug and substance abuse.
Mambo said increasing access to and normalisation of drugs, peer pressure, unemployment and limited opportunities were among the challenges facing young people.
He said some youths battling substance abuse did not know where to seek help, while communities often condemned affected individuals instead of supporting their recovery.
“We cannot solve the problem by simply telling young people to stay away from drugs. It has to be a proactive approach whereby we create opportunities and give young people something meaningful to focus on,” he said.
The Lusaka event will feature sporting activities, awareness engagements and discussions on drug abuse and youth empowerment.
Community leaders, sporting stakeholders, churches, organisations and other partners will also have an opportunity to network and explore collaborative solutions.
Mambo said the initiative was about more than one event, with the foundation seeking to build relationships and encourage communities to take collective responsibility.
He said young people should be viewed as part of the solution rather than merely victims, as they could influence peers positively and become ambassadors for healthy lifestyles.
Families, schools and governments, he added, also had key roles in providing guidance, mentorship, early intervention, education, entrepreneurship and skills development.
The Zambia event forms part of the foundation’s broader vision of building a youth empowerment movement extending beyond Zimbabwe and Zambia to other parts of Africa.
“Ultimately, we want to contribute to a generation of young people who are educated, skilled, empowered and able to become productive leaders in their communities,” Mambo said.
Its message, he said, was simple: young people should not only be told what to avoid, but given something positive to aspire to and meaningful opportunities to pursue.
