Brighten Communities: Youth Empowerment Initiative - International Edition
The BULAWAYO Vendors and Traders Association along with the local government have teamed up to equip young people with technical expertise to initiate self-reliance initiatives.
The Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association Executive Director, Michael Ndiweni, stated that this program aimed to remove young people from the streets.
"We have involved our local authorities because we have an initiative where young individuals aged between 18 and 24 will receive education on solar panel installation and home electrical work, equipping them with essential skills to improve their job prospects," he stated.
Ndiweni stated that the municipal administration had provided vocational training centers for this program.
"We have approximately 150 young people signed up for this program, and the local authorities have allocated three vocational training centers for us—located in Mzilikazi, Makokoba, and Pumula," he stated.
By the following week, the students could begin learning to acquire skills since we have completed the orientation, which concluded last week.
Ndiweni said thousands of youths were wallowing in poverty without any source of income.
"We plan to keep collaborating with our local authorities to undertake initiatives that foster progress in our city, similar to how we previously joined forces with them for the construction of the Nkulumane marketplace, an effort intended to stimulate economic expansion within the area," he stated.
Councillor Adrian Moyo from Ward 2 praised the initiative as an essential step in combating drug and substance abuse.
"The solar initiative program will enable our local government to undertake social responsibility projects for the community, thereby equipping young people with skills and engaging them constructively, thus steering them clear of drugs and substance misuse," he stated.
Moyo indicated that this initiative would equip young people with necessary skills and provide them with improved methods for earning an income, thus fostering development within the city.