“Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die”-Herbert
Hoover
Platform for Youth
Development Trust (PYD) joins the global world in commemorating the
International Youth Day. The International Youth Day is an International event
endorsed by the United Nations Assembly and celebrated yearly on 12 August
since 2000.
PYD is convinced that
2016 is a year that is more compelling for young people to show leadership,
particularly in Zimbabwe. The International Youth Day this year has come at a
time when Zimbabwe has escalated into a debilitating crisis of leadership and governance.
Zimbabwe is now high on the International platforms for mockery and derision
due to endemic corruption and patronage of state institutions that has totally
excluded young people. Young people in Zimbabwe are now relegated to the
dungeons of poverty due to unemployment and lack of an enabling environment to
use their talents and creativity for survival. Today, young people from
Zimbabwe are scattered all over the world in search of greener pastures. The
situation in Zimbabwe relates well with the conditions of other young people in
Africa.
In keeping with the United
Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the theme for this year is: The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and
Achieving Sustainable consumption and Production and the leading role young
people can play in that.
This is an excellent
day to audit the intervention made by our government in the whole world towards
eradicating poverty and for the empowerment of young people. The theme is
emphasizing on the social, political and environmental linkage needed to achieve
sustainable development, specifically Sustainable Development Goal number one (1)
on ending Poverty and Sustainable Goal number eight (8) on Sustainable Growth.
Platform for Youth
Development is still to benefit from the promises of the Zimbabwean government
made through ZIMASSET.At PYD, we have raised our voice as much as we are on record
having invited the government of Zimbabwe to intervene in improving the lives
of young people in Chisumbanje, Marange and Chiadzwa communities. Levels of
poverty in these communities are high and deplorable due to unmonitored
promises of beneficiation through community share ownership trusts .The afore
-mentioned communities are weakening and being taken for a ride by big business
that are enjoying state protection at the expense of local communities.
Platform for Youth Development
has therefore organized young people within these communities to use their
backyard gardening as small scale farmers to address their livelihood
challenges. Through partnership with other local civic organizations, PYD seeks
to improve these small scale farmers to be linked with Agricultural financing,
production and marketing. Training is being offered to not only promote good
agricultural practices but also to improve nutritional and health seeking practices.
Among other existing projects guided by our 3 year strategic planning, PYD
continues to engage with stakeholders that help to create platforms for
dialogue and interface between citizens and solution holders in our communities.
Our work in the communities has always been objected to enhance accountable,
democratic governance and citizen engagement.
In our concluding remark,
Platform for Youth Development urges the government of Zimbabwe to take the
grievances of young people seriously as a measure to guard against the
restlessness that has been encouraged by exclusion and use of state apparatus
to clamp down on voices of decent
Inserted by PYD
Information Department
P.Bag 5004, Checheche,
Chipinge
For more Information Contact
PYD Director on +263 773 010 331/ + 263 714 179 219 and PYD Board Chair on +263
772 896 458
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