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Taking
youth development, indigenization and empowerment to greater heights
Trymore Karikoga, Budiriro Think Tank
January 14, 2011
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Youth is a
transitional phase/ period from childhood to adulthood in human
development. It is also of paramount importance that this process
be guided by the definition of a youth in the African Youth Charter
and adopted respectively in the national youth policies. For a nation
that is committed to the development and empowerment of its future
generations (which lies in youths) should make meaningful undertakings
to observe and be guided by the charter and subsequent national
youth policies in its formulation of developmental youth programmes
and national programmes.
Currently most
youths are focusing much more on socio-economic differences which
have undermined the progress of national youth programmes. As youths
we must focus and concentrate more on what brings us together on
a developmental note. Taking aboard what concern us youths the present
and future in order to leave behind a legacy of brotherhood that
unites us as the citizens of a nation, this is the most important
factor to the development and empowerment of youths both socially
and economically. Let's be objective rather than being subjective!
Having said
that we will not waste time by describing the problems and challenges
already articulated and presented well in different forums both
locally and internationally (though this assumption is dangerous).
Taking into cognizance the fact that youths are not a homogeneous
group and that there are four types of characters of people (i.e.employee,
self employed, business owner and investor) henceforth, this article
primarily focuses on recommendations as part of the solutions to
the challenges and problems that we are engulfed in.
A paradigm shift
is inevitable on our agenda of contributing meaningfully towards
youth development. Youths being the custodians of tomorrow (the
future), we must be at the epicenter of this endeavour on achieving
a sustainable livelihood. Information dissemination techniques,
empowerment objectives, investment opportunities, enforcement of
policies [including acts, laws, and programmes activities], promotion
of socio integration, transformation or retransformation of the
youth mindset towards youth developmental programmes, are the key
factors to consider in formulation and implementation of national
policies.
With the creation
of the department of youth development in the scenario of Zimbabwe,
information dissemination has improved, but lets consider the fact
the transformation from childhood to adulthood is a process, henceforth
the dissemination techniques of the national programmes has to be
carefully considered. Games have been seen to be effective mode
of information dissemination. Research has shown that the way one
conducts himself/ herself when playing (or watching) a game reflects
much on one's personality and character. The participant of the
game (or the spectator) will easily absorb the concepts and contents
of the game. Innovative as well as creative interactive and simulative
games are a pinnacle to information dissemination techniques that
brings results as well as behavioral changes, more particularly
amongst the youths and children. Games have more effect on youths,
as on adults as there have on children.
Youth empowerment
policy as an indigenization and economic-empowerment initiative
has to be in tandem with educational policies to succeed, for instance,
the majority of youths are failing to understand the concept of
national indigenization and economic-empowerment. Like the agrarian
revolution, the youths were expected to take the lead and benefited,
but this never happened. The educational system groom children to
adults but in doing so the critical principles of national policies
are generalized on the expense of the youth. The education system
is in most cases producing employees but the national indigenization
and economic empowerment policy emphasing youths to get hold of
the indigenize resources, empower themselves and become fully fledged
entrepreneurs. The financial institutions have been in most cases
put forward stringent collateral requirements for youths to secure
financial resources. The majority of youths have been left with
nothing productive to do but to all forms of abuse.
Most empowerment
strategies and undertakings are a real mockery to the word empowerment
and its meaning. Most of the empowerment efforts being said to have
been and being undertaken are selective rather than objective. Developmental
empowerment goes beyond, for instance telling someone that such
thing(s) or project(s) is (are) paying without giving that person
the power or authority or means to do (or rather) embark on such
thing(s) or project(s). And this is not what is needed at this point
in time. Empowerment strategies that are needed are in line and
are supported with investment opportunities that are available or
that can be created. A paradigm shift from a mind-set of capital
being inherited to that of capital being generated becomes inevitable
if we are to succeed on our agenda. Capital is not only in financial
terms. In fact if you have capital you are empowered. The capital
being referred to here is a combination of financial, resources
and human. The current situation and status of the youths and children
is of great beneficial to a selected few depending on how well connected
you are.
As youths, we
need to start looking at what we have. From a philosophical point
of view, the answer lies within the question. We need to use what
we have to the best of the abilities of those things to profitably
satisfy our unique needs and wants. On the indigenization and empowerment,
our primary focus as youths must be on value addition rather that
being middlepersons.
Of the about
9 520 000 Zimbabwean youths, 1 332 800 have left the country to
the diaspora. 2 142 000 unemployed, 571 200 are employed, 3 094
000 are school and college going age, while 2 380 000 have passed
on (approximate estimates). For the purposes of gender equality,
sex distribution has been deliberately left out. The $1 000 per
youth loans are targeted to benefit the unemployed youths, however
1 713 600 youths of the targeted group are not in picture of this
development. Of the 427 400 youths, 256 440 can not write bankable
project plans if at all they can write one and the remainder are
set to benefit directly. Of the 170 960 youths, a smaller percentage
is anticipated to undertake there proposed projects successfully.
Taking into cognizance the above data, indigenization and empowerment
agenda, lessons from land reform as well as the land reform itself
and the resources in our motherland, Zimbabwe, notwithstanding the
socio-political dispensations; as youths and those concerned with
the youth affairs in Zimbabwe, we need to undertake a process of
defining a Zimbabwe we want in ten to twenty years to come. We need
to take charge today and define the Zimbabwe we want followed by
actually undertake actions that will enable us to turn that we desire
into reality. Let's get our hands dirty!
There is need to put in place youth policies that will remain beneficial
to youths. A great number of youth programmes and projects have
been implemented for the youths then whom have benefited are no
longer youths. The only youth policy that has been put in place
and remains beneficial to youths is the education policy, but even
though more needs to be done to that policy as well. On empowerment
and indigenisation, the policies must ensure that the process are
in the circular format rather than linear as most policies stand.
(e.g. on land reform, we propose that 30% of the farms in each province
be owned by the state on behalf of the youths whom will utilise
them as an empowerment vehicle for a certain period before they
graduate into their respective business ventures.) 25 % of the gross
total revenue generated from all the mines and natural resources
must be channelled toward the Youth Empowerment and Development
Fund that will be administered by the Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC).
Taking a leaf
from history of the East and West, for instance, the East provided
cheap labour to the West most importantly within their land. The
West set-up plants and factories in the East, hence production was
done in the East on behalf of the West. This is a win-win situation
for all the parties within trade agreements. As youths, we need
to advocate for a situation where our backyard will never be turned
into disposal sites of other states. If we are serious in the next
ten to twenty years, as patriotic youths of Zimbabwe, she can take
a deliberate decision that her citizens never have to labour for
survival. What do we need to do?
By exploiting
our resources (both natural and human), added value and dispose
them for both internal and external markets. This being the spirit
of the indigenisation and empowerment agenda, youths should think
and act of partnering or collaborating with interested parties in
setting-up ventures that brings technology and infrastructural development
in her land. Seriously taking consideration of our natural resources
and human capital and being patriotic enough to withstand short
term pressures that cloud our goal. Rejecting being study cases
for others' benefit is the mind set we need to have. Vigilance is
a priority with regards to our history, present and alignment with
future goals.
With the exception
of the short term, we need to lobby and advocate for policies and
laws that discourage exporting raw resources at the expense of value
added resources. Our resources must be processed or value added
locally before exportation. For us to achieve this within the short
term we need to use a portion of our resources in exchange for bringing
in technology and building required strategic infrastructures. Also
within short term, let set our priorities right and doing the right
things. Zimbabwe is a youthful nation, hence we constitute the mass.
At this point, it prudent that as Zimbabwean we define what we stand
for as Zimbabwean before what we believe in individually. We need
to graduate from a point where our individual point of view is against
our standing point as Zimbabweans; we are able to say NO! Depoliticise
the youth sector, for this process to be easier, the political will
by the major political players is needed. However, the process requires
an all inclusive and multi-sectorial approach. It is commendable
that this process is showing some signs of laying out some form
of foundation within our country Zimbabwe.
At community
level, as youth indigenisation and empowerment strategy Budiriro
Think Tank (BTT) is lobbying and advocating for a "currency
pool model". A currency pool model is a multi-sectorial interdependent
business system that coordinates various economic ventures with
a centralised administration. Currency pool model operates in what
can be referred to as a community youth economic hub. Characteristics
of the hub encourages promotion of economic ventures of members
within that community thereby ensuring that the currency circulates
more within that particular community before it escape that society.
Syndicates or synergies that will be operating or using the currency
pool model will be interdependent, running independently with a
centralised administrative coordination. The community youth economic
hub will be administered by a currency pool committee. The currency
pool committee's responsibilities include acquisition of resources
and supervising operations. A secretariat that has a responsibility
to supervise day-to-day operation of the community youth economic
hub, will be in place and under the directions of the committee.
Close financial management and control will be employed as the committee
will secure funding on behalf the members of the community youth
economic hub. Only net profit for respective economic ventures and
salaries will be given to economic venture owners and employees.
Appropriate action will be taken to non-performing ones.
As BTT a local
youth initiative, we strive for social and economic emancipation,
empowerment, nurturing and development. BTT is a registered Trust
(MA 135/2009) a membership based non-profit making, non-religious
and apolitical community based organisation. We commenced our active
on the ground operations in June 2007 though our history is traced
to November 2003. BTT has been operating without external funding
since its inception.
The mission
of BTT is, "To contribute to the advancement of our community
to meet world-class standards by creating a positive change, platforms
for social and economic development." While the purpose of
the programmes we are currently implementing is, "Creating
conducive platforms for youths to use their respective talents as
developmental tools in sustaining their lives, socially and economically."
Our programmes are aimed addressing four areas of interest and these
are
- Individual
development,
- Community
development,
- Business
and Entrepreneurship development
- Health and
Environment affairs. Currently BTT is running Youth Information
Kiosk (YIK) programme (and our flagship initiative under this
programme is BTT Street Youth Edutainment), Entrepreneurship Development
In Action (EDIA) programme and Mukoma Sports programme.
The objective
of EDIA programme is creating conducive platforms (training ground
for youths) to start a project, work towards listing on the youth
project stock exchange (an alternative stock exchange) with the
ultimate aim to list on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) and or
any other international stock exchange.
In conclusion,
we believe if we are to put more emphasis on the above mentioned
areas of interest at national level that should make a strong foundation
for any future policy making framework. With the right attitude,
right leadership, right policies and transparent enforcement we
are posed for a brighter and successful future for the present and
future youth generations.
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