Remember Deketeke
Herald Correspondent
THE National Youth Symposium, which kicks off in Harare today, will bring young entrepreneurs out of their silos, creating a national platform to recognise and harness their growing contribution to Zimbabwe’s economic transformation.
This was said by Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Minister, Tino Machakaire, after touring exhibition stands at the Glamis Arena yesterday.
Minister Machakaire said the symposium, which runs until tomorrow (Wednesday), would culminate in an awards ceremony to be presided over by President Mnangagwa, where outstanding young entrepreneurs will be recognised for their innovation and contribution to national development.
“After this youth symposium, we are going to see that there are a lot of young people doing so well around the country. If we do not appreciate or recognise them, they will live in silos, but now, with this symposium, they will come in their numbers so that we can understand and see what is happening around the country, their challenges and their successes in developing our nation.”
The symposium will be running under the theme, “Empower the Youth, Secure the Future”.
According to the United Nations, youths constitute approximately 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s total population, making them a substantial force that cannot be ignored and the event is crucial in providing a platform to foster youth-to-youth learning by providing an opportunity for youth enterprises to exhibit and share best practices.
Minister Machakaire added that the symposium would enable policymakers to gain a clearer understanding of the needs of young businesspeople and help the Government design more effective support mechanisms.
“We are now moving forward with a clear picture of what needs to be done to support those that are yet to grow in their businesses,” he said.
“If we had not organised this, we would only be speaking in general terms about youth businesses. But now, this is reality, we can see what is happening.”
Minister Machakaire expressed gratitude to the stakeholders, young entrepreneurs and Government partners who came on board to make the event possible, saying the symposium would strengthen national efforts to empower the youth through entrepreneurship.
He said the Government’s goal was not only to celebrate success stories, but also to motivate other young Zimbabweans to start their own ventures and become active participants in building the economy.
“We want to see what our youth are doing in terms of growing their businesses and supporting our GDP,” said Minister Machakaire.
“As Government, we also need to see how best we can support their efforts and motivate those not yet in business to come on board and move together with their Government.”
The symposium, Minister Machakaire said, will also focus on addressing drug and substance abuse, noting that several ministries, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, were working closely with youth groups to craft sustainable solutions to this challenge.
“Our main issue remains the fight against drug and substance abuse,” he said.
“We appreciate all the partners, particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs, for coming up with solutions to combat this problem. This symposium is part of that solution, it gives our youth purpose, focus, and opportunity.”
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