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

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