Tertiary institutions part of empowerment process
Story by Mercy Bofu Matinha
STUDENTS at tertiary institutions have been encouraged to embrace government empowerment programmes meant for youths and play an active role in the country’s development agenda.
Students at Bondolfi Teachers’ College in Masvingo this week held an interactive discussion on youth empowerment with the Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Honourable Kudakwashe Mnangagwa as well as Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Deputy Minister, Honourable Kudakwashe Mupamhanga.
Issues around social protection, financial inclusion and empowerment programmes for young people dominated discussions.
“Where government has focused itself on social protection for education is at the basic level, the government has a programme called Basic Education Assistance Module but as our base grows it means that, that social protection also grows. And we are targeting to ensure social protection programmes for tertiary students also,” said Honourable Mnangagwa.
“As Ministry of Youth Empowerment, we encourage youths to form cooperatives because it will be easier for banks to avail funding for our projects. Again, remember we have got a lot of empowerment programmes, especially in the agriculture sector, let us take advantage of those as students such that we also create employment even after school,” said Honourable Mupamhanga.
Students welcomed the engagement process saying it is key in identifying empowerment opportunities for young people.
“Today we had an interactive discussion where several issues were cleared, now we know there is Empower bank which can assist us with money to start businesses,” said one of the students.
Another noted, “We had an opportunity to air our views on issues of employment, especially for us teachers again the vision 2030 was unpacked for us to understand where we are going.”
The government has shown commitment to empowering young people through several initiatives, including establishing a youth bank, and skills training centres and putting up a stand-alone ministry for youths.
