Youth empowerment is vital

By Sixpence Manyengavana

The world’s cognitive powers are witnessing how young, energetic, enthusiastic and talented life wastes away in immoral habit that is worsening the present plight. Looking down-trodden, indecisive and hyper-pensive, the youths have been forced to indulge in alcoholism, prostitution, thugery, rape, drugs and always at loggerheads with law enforcement agents simply because the majority of them cannot initiate or lack the requisites to kick-start viable projects to keep them busy not to talk of fending for themselves.

It is a given fact that youths especially those found in rural areas of most African countries have very little or no educational foundation to boost their ego in whatever sphere of life they find themselves in. This can be attributed to traditional beliefs, the state of their country’s economy, government policy on education and youth empowerment, innovations, amenities, poverty among other factors.

There is a growing realization by various governments that the youths need to be empowered. Zimbabwe is among those countries that have set a whole ministry to look into and deal with matters affecting the youths.

Internationally, youths should be made to interact about current affairs and burning issues that affect them. This can be made possible if they have access to latest technology of communication like interacting through electronic mail, face book and other internet facilities but how many can afford to access the internet?

The media could also be used as a real tool of communicating and creating awareness about the deprivation of youths since its role is to educate, inform and entertain. The dissemination of information could be via radio, television, newspapers, fliers, news letters and the internet.

The Department of Information used to go around in rural areas showing the rural folk films using the bioscope method for free. This was a convenient way of disseminating information to every part of the country at no cost to the beneficiaries. With resources permitting, the relevant authorities might want to resuscitate the program because it is the youths in rural areas that this writer is most concerned about.

Youths should be given enough support and encouragement to form various youth organizations that will be on hand to promote their aims and objectives. These organizations should foster programs that would make the youths discover and harness their talents and potentials.

Unlike the current scenario where the majority of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have flooded this country to concentrate on regime change agenda, these are the very organizations that could be set up with the sole aim of correcting the wrong orientation most youths have about self emancipation and how they can gradually be integrated into the society.

The advantage of forming these youth organizations is that, with enough support from government and well wishers, they can interact with sister organizations from other countries. This has a direct benefit of inspiring, mentoring and coaching the youngsters so that they can posses increased levels of motivation.

Various church denominations and other religious seminars are expected to assist by preaching the gospel of youth empowerment to help spread the word.

The problem with most youths in disadvantaged countries is that they have negative views towards life because of what they are exposed to; like poverty, lack of social entertainment, failure to access modern educational benefits and the inability to interact with other youths in developed countries to share experiences gained in those respective countries.

Lack of understanding of different cultures breeds inferiority complex within victim individuals so youth empowerment should not be confined to the borders of one country. In neighbouring South Africa there is what they call Youth Entrepreneurship Campaign which seeks to support as many young entrepreneurs as possible so that they can be able to secure a share of the benefits that will come from South Africa ’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA world cup.

The campaign has created many investment opportunities for young South Africans since its inception four years ago and it encourages the provision of finance and procurement opportunities for young people to enable the development and sustainability of their enterprises.

Namibia recently introduced the cross border tourism youth empowerment exchange and learning edition for the youths in SADC region. In short they call it empowering the youth through tourism. This is aimed at affirming the tourism potential of Africa and its contribution to economic growth and poverty alleviation of member countries. The initiative also promotes cultural exchange and share models of best practices in the context of tourism.

This has brought together participants from Swaziland , South Africa and host Namibia . This is another opportunity where our Zimbabwean youths could have benefited as well had there been cooperation between countries on youth empowerment. The Namibian Tourism and Environment Ministry has initiated the community-based tourism policy specifically to empower their youths so that they derive maximum benefits from tourism business.

In Zimbabwe we have the national youth training program that has received world-wide condemnation because of the alleged partisan allegiance to ZANU (PF). This is a deliberate government policy meant to inculcate the values of patriotism, discipline, tolerance and democracy. It also engenders a spirit of community service and skills development to the advantage of our country but that is not enough if it is confined within Zimbabwean borders.

In the United States prior to graduating from high school, the majority of youths take part in at least one community service activity. This helps on the evaluation of their youth empowerment programs that focuses on identifying key components of youth community service, assessing whether the program has produced the intended results.

Technology is advancing by the day and it would be to this country’s advantage that our youths keep pace for they are the leaders of tomorrow.