Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Minister's Speech at the Ward Youth Officers Graduation Ceremony.

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SALUTATIONS

THE GOVERNOR AND RESIDENT MINISTER OF
MASHONALAND EAST PROVINCE, HON. A. S. CHIGWEDERE
THE PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR, MINISTRY OF
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, INDIGENISATION, AND EMPOWERMENT,
DIRECTORS, PROVINCIAL AND DISTRICT YOUTH
DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS,
STAFF OF DOMBOSHAWA INSTITUTE OF
MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
HEADS OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND
OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
INVITED GUESTS
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
RELATIVES AND FRIENDS OF GRADUANDS

GOOD
MORNING TO YOU ALL!



Today is a very important day as we are
here for the ceremony to witness the graduation of Ward Youth Officers in
Mashonaland East province.

The Ward Youth Officers have received
training from the Domboshava Institute of manpower Development which is a
renowned leader in training in community development.

Ward Youth officers have very important
roles in my Ministry’s programmes for youth development and empowerment.

As many of you are aware, most of my
Ministry’s programmes are implemented where the youth reside in rural and urban
communities.  The staff of our programmes
need to have easy access to youth.

One of the main duties of the Ward Youth
Officers is to mobilize youth in order to encourage them to participate in
various personal and community development programmes. These include, for
example, community projects for rehabilitation of clinics, schools, roads; also
includes youth mobilization for farming projects for food security; mobilization
for health promotion programmes to prevent HIV and AIDS and other socially
transmitted diseases, and many more.

Another very important role for Ward
youth Officers is in mobilizing youth to generate an interest to become entrepreneurs.
The main aim is that youth are involved in income generating activities that
can support their lives and those of their families.

Mobilization for enterprise development
involves helping youth identify viable businesses, receive appropriate technical
and business management training, prepare business plans, register businesses,
apply for credit and finance, establish or join business commodity associations
and many other activities.

Becoming entrepreneurs is an avenue for
economic empowerment in which youth can become respectable members of their
families and communities. They have incomes in order to pay for basics such as
treatment for healthcare, food, clothing and even have some money for
recreation to pay for a soccer match or travel to visit friends and relatives.

Empowerment is about giving youth an
opportunity to do these things freely and with pride. When a person has the
means to support themselves, they have a sense of satisfaction and are become
confident and proud of their identify.

Since so many of our youth are idle, and
have no skills, the work of Ward Youth Officers is CRITICAL to ensuring they
help the youth acquire the right orientation to seek opportunities for building
themselves and their communities.

Therefore the certificates in community
development are important as they enable Ward Youth Officers do their work
successfully.

My Ministry has several programmes that
are aimed at community development and youth development. These include:

  • The Youthbuild Zimbabwe programme where
    youth are involved in community building projects that also include job
    training skills, leadership development, and pre-vocational skills.

  • The Integrated Skills Training programme
    (ISOP) which offers short courses in technical and entrepreneurial skills for
    community based businesses.

  • We also have vocational training
    programmes are our vocational training centres (VTCs) located in different
    provinces.

  • There are informal vocational skills
    training provided by mastercraftsmen and women.

  • A Youth Development Fund (YDF) which
    provides loans to help youth start up and grow businesses. Our Ministry staff
    assist in identifying viable businesses, drafting business plans, registering
    businesses, and support to run the businesses.

As my Ministry is satisfied with the
role that the certificates in Community Development can play in promoting youth
development and empowerment, we authorised the enrolment of 247 Ward Youth
Officers on the 24 April 2010 as a pilot.

Prior to their enrolment, arrangements
were made between the Ministry and the Domboshava Institute to come up with
training modalities that would be appropriate for the work of the Ward Youth
Officers in the ground.

Today, we celebrate the achievements of
the collaboration and look forward to the positive contribution of Ward Youth
Officers in their respective wards.

We applaud their dedication to improve
their skills and knowledge. Most of all we believe that their commitment to
developing their communities will be upheld.

We look forward to greater effectiveness
of your work and the implementation of the Ministry’s programmes.

We say Makotokoto!  Amhlope!


I thank you and wish you all the best in
your endeavours!



Hon S Kasukuwere (M.P)
Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment