PYCD ENGAGES THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH, SPORTS, ARTS AND RECREATION.

The current socio – economic and political challenges facing Zimbabwe has hit the youth in rural communities most. In response to the challenges, the youth adopted various coping mechanism that affect the community in various ways. On 5th July 2019, Platform for Youth and Community Development hosted 80 young people at Manzvire Community Hall in Musikavanhu Constituency, Chipinge. The Community Hall meeting was configured around the theme; YOUTH AND RESILIENCE.

The Youth and Resilience session sought to promote self-awareness and provide diverse perspectives on current challenges facing the young people. This was done in order to build a conversation between young people and policy – makers. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation, and Zimbabwe Youth Council as well as Research and Advocacy Unit. This is a first step in providing the structural framework that allows them to actively engage with issues around sustainable development and to present their own reflections to duty bearers.

Most of the rural youths are estimated to abuse drugs and related substances, drop out of school, face early pregnancies, prostitution and lack of psycho – social support. These challenges constitute serious violation of child rights, and these violations are a result of absence of progressive ways of social engagement between the young people and duty bearers. Yet these young people are remarkably resilient despite seemingly unsurmountable odds. However, rural poverty can significantly influence young people by the lack of resources and supports available to them through both their family systems and their community contexts such as peer networks, educational systems and neighborhoods.

The meeting at Manzvire Community hall discussed the salient risk factors and protective processes for the young people living in Chipinge district. The risk factors are within the context of adverse socio – economic and cultural impacts associated with rural settings. PYCD engaged the responsible youth ministry so that varying risk factors and resilient processes are interrogated from a policy framework. This was meant for the young people to highlight their coping mechanism as they face challenges produced by a deteriorating rural economic base.   “Communication between the youth and the government has been weak leading to low uptake of the Ministry’s initiatives. It is important to improve and work towards creating a congenial relationship.” Simon Sikota, a representative from the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation acknowledged poor communication and weak engagement between the ministry and the youth. This is ample proof that explains the frustration young people experience when issues they present are discarded on the grounds that young people are rude, arrogant, disrespectful or not politically correct. As a result of inhibited youth expression, youth voices are faint in the structures of policy making, and can be left out of various governmental initiatives. Thus, the opinions, perspectives or ideas of the young person are rendered untenable, and unworthy of consideration.

Suggestions were provided for ways in which the responsible ministry and PYCD can create resilience-promoting rural environments for young people. The suggested solutions included providing psycho – social support, vocational training, youth empowerment programs and inculcate the value of cultural respect. However, youth participation in these is crucial, as the responsible ministry should provide adequate spaces for the youth engagement. The engagement learning spaces in which young people can acquire a set of expectations about their right to participate and their power to bring about change by doing so.

The youth and resilience series have allowed youth to voice opinions and, to some extent, engage with responsible authorities. This platform has emerged as channels for youth-policy maker dialogue and envisaged to improve the accountability of those in authority. The conversations on done on the youth and resilience series represent a gold mine of information and reference for performance. 

Currently, PYCD is embarking on a livelihood project in Chipinge district as a means to respond and to fight social and economic exclusion. The project focuses on inspiring young people to pursue economic opportunities in the community.