YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT · 2015. 5. 15. · YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT: RE-VISITING PROSPECTS IN THE INFORMAL...

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT:

RE-VISITING THE PROSPECTS WITHIN

ZIMBABWE’S INFORMAL SECTOR

Report on Activities of the National Stakeholders Conference.

Troutbeck Resort. Nyanga. Zimbabwe

(June 18 - 21, 2013)

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT: RE-VISITING PROSPECTS IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR: REPORT Page 1

Acknowledgements

This report has been made possible by the combined efforts of the Joint Youth Working Group (JOWOG)

Secretariat and its strategic partners incorporating UNDP Zimbabwe, Dialogue Facility Fund (DFF) partners as well

as Deloitte and Mrs. Sylvia Khumalo. JOWOG is a successful product of Voices In the Vision for Africa (VIVA)

Zimbabwe`s Annual National Youth Dialogue Forum (NYDF) 2012. JOWOG is comprised of volunteering national

youth organization leaders from across the country including the leadership of the youth wings of political parties.

The working group is focused on increasing youth participation and representation in national decision making and

policy formulation processes by engaging stakeholders on “Key Thematic areas of Discussion” on the social ,

economic and political issues affecting youth at community and national level. The outcome(s) of these content

specific discussions are packaged as policy briefs that shared with the respective Ministries or Stakeholder(s).

JOWOG works under a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) that guides the activities and conduct of the group to

ensure its impartiality, inclusiveness and impact. VIVA Zimbabwe is the Secretariat of the working group.


Table of Contents

1.0 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................................. 3

1.1 Objectives of the Seminar ............................................................................................................. 3

1.2 Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 4

2.0 Leveling the platform for discussion .............................................................................................. 5

2.1 Welcome Remarks ............................................................................................................................ 5

2.2 Concept/Key Note Address .............................................................................................................. 5

3.0 PRESENTATIONS: ........................................................................................................................ 5

3.1 Youth Employment in Zimbabwe: Perspectives from the 2011 Labour survey: ...................... 5

3.2 Moderated Plenary discussions: Ethel ............................................................................................ 6

3.3.1 Question and Answer Session for segment one .................................................................. 7

4.0 Policy Reflections, Analysis and Dialogue on Youth and Employment in Zimbabwe .................. 8

4.1 Reflections within the Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises SMMEs: Dennis Shure ................. 8

4.3 Reflections within the Labour Policy: Senzeni Gumbo .................................................................. 9

4.4 Reflections within Agriculture Practice: Pardon Njerere ............................................................ 10

4.5 Reflections within the MTP: C. M Mujajati ................................................................................... 11

4.6.1 Moderated Plenary discussions: James Wakiaga (UNDP Economic Advisor) ................. 11

5.0 Unpacking the Concept of the Informal Sector in Zimbabwe .................................................... 14

5.1 Informal Sector – Labour and Employment: Dr R Chigumira ....................................................... 14

5.2 Informal Sector within the Framework of Small and Medium Enterprises: ............................... 14

5.2.1 Moderated Plenary discussions: William Tsuma (UNDP DFF Advisor) ............................. 15

6.0 Positioning the Informal Economy to bridge the Youth Unemployment gap ........................... 16

6.1 Building a Culture of entrepreneurship: Luxon Zembe. Management Solutions ...................... 16

6.2 Building skills through training and exposure: Nephas Munyeche SNV ..................................... 18

6.3 Strengthening Business and Market Linkages (Value and Production Chain): .......................... 18

6.4 IDBZ Presentation: Tichaona Kaseke ............................................................................................ 19

6.5 Presentation by Technoserve: Dr Maxwell Mutema ................................................................... 20

6.6 Presentation by ZWB: .................................................................................................................... 21

6.7 Presentation by ZFU: Paul Zakariya .............................................................................................. 21

7.0 Success Stories ............................................................................................................................... 22

7.1 Moderated plenary session: Clara ................................................................................................. 23

8.0 Workshop wrap up and field trip: William and SNV ................................................................ 25

9.0 Appendix A: Attendance Record .................................................................................................. 26


1.0 BACKGROUND Zimbabwe’s economy shrunk each year for over a decade (1998 to 2008) with poverty levels doubling between 1998

and 2008. The formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the introduction of multi-denomination

currency in 2009, initiated a return to economic growth. However, growth soon stagnated for various reasons and

unemployment levels remained very high among youth. The World Bank’s Report on Youth and Unemployment in

Africa: The Potential, the Problem, the Promise posits that creating viable jobs for young people is a pre-condition for

Africa’s poverty eradication and economic growth efforts. The ILO’s 2012 annual Report takes the discussion further

by posting that the ongoing vicious cycle of poverty is nurtured when evidenced economic growth does not lead to

job creation – especially for the ever growing younger segment of society. Critical to the discussions on youth

unemployment is the strategic role of the informal sector. In Zimbabwe like in many other African countries, youth

are engaged in exploring ways in which they can meaningfully contribute to the development of the country and

make a decent living for themselves and their families in the face of diminishing employment opportunities in the

formal sector, which is billed as the most viable vehicle for bridging the unemployment gap. Currently there is no

shared definition of the informal sector as each organization has its own way of looking at the informal sector.

It is for this reason that the Joint Youth Working Group (JOWOG) in partnership with the Zimbabwe Youth Council,

UNDP and Deloitte, in liaison with 8 government ministries namely the Ministry of Youth Development,0 Ministry of

Local Government, Ministry of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, Ministry of Small and Medium

Enterprises and Cooperative Development (MSMECD), Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and irrigation

Development, Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Ministry of Labor among others mandated to promote

small businesses in Zimbabwe, embarked on an initiative to address issues of livelihoods with a focus on the youth.

The overall objective of the initiative is to implement a capacity development programme which will take cognizance

of the capacities of individuals and institutions, national and local actors, to design, implement and monitor program

portfolios for sustainable employment creation and income generation as the basis for livelihoods and economic

recovery. In the light of this, JOWOG commissioned a dialogue space, funded by the United Nations Development

Programme (UNDP) through its Dialogue Financing Facility (DFF) to measure the capacity of economic actors to

implement various categories of employment and income generation initiatives for youth, women and the

unemployed active population at local and national levels

1.1 Objectives of the Seminar The multi stakeholder practice and policy dialogue process was aimed at unpacking the concept of the informal sector by leveraging on practical field experiences and perspectives to generate a better understanding of the opportunities that exist within the informal sector for youth employment with special attention to the respective youth. The dialogue space was focused on the following key areas:

1. The current Youth demographic in Zimbabwe; scope of youth employment and unemployment in

Zimbabwe (Both within the formal and informal sector)

2. Existing Policy Frameworks that underpin Youth Issues in the Country

3. A closer look at the education sector and how it can proactively equip youth with the required skills for

entrepreneurship or position

4. The Scope of the Informal Sector and the opportunity that it creates as a plausible vehicle for addressing

the unemployment problem

5. Practical Field Experiences, information sharing and exposure of Youths from Diverse backgrounds

leveraging the informal sector for Productive Livelihoods / Jobs, income generation

6. Success stories from youths working in the informal sector


7. Practice, Policy, Data, Information and Knowledge Gaps on the sector and how to bridge it.

8. Unpacking the concept of informal sector and understanding the scope of the sector in Zimbabwe

9. Positioning the informal sector to bridge the youth unemployment gap

1.2 Methodology The process involved stakeholder consultations from Government departments which have a stake in the youth

initiatives, the Private Sector, NGOs (Local and International), the Financial institutions, Captains of Industry and

Commerce, Farmer representative bodies, entrepreneurs, youth leadership from the political sphere as well as

private consultants. The next stage was a multi level stakeholder consultative process to discuss and initiating

dialogue and discuss policy positions at each level, this paved way for informative presentations and dialogue

forums to bring insight on the policy provisions from each perspective. These dialogue forums sought to frame the

issues through the guided presentations with plenary interrogations, and an analysis of policy on youth employment

issues with key and relevant Government Ministries. This was further unraveled through life-story presentations and

field experiences on how the youth are using/leveraging the informal economy/sector for sustainable

livelihoods/employment.


2.0 Leveling the platform for discussion

2.1 Welcome Remarks Welcome remarks were made by Nqobile Moyo, JOWOG National Coordinator as the conveners of the practice and policy dialogue seminar and the lead facilitator, Ethel Bangwayo from Deloitte. They extended an appreciation to participants in taking time off their busy schedules and committing to participating in constructive dialogue on youth and youth unemployment in the country. The aim of this Seminar was emphasized as being to identify practical strategies for improving and scaling youth employment initiatives in Zimbabwe, with a special focus on the Informal sector. Access to employment by the Youth is key for sustainable development and reflecting on ways of bridging the unemployment gap which remains a policy priority – not just in Zimbabwe, but also in most African Countries. Self introductions and a networking session followed, getting to know who is who, through talking to people whom one was meeting for the first time and sharing what they do and discussing possible collaboration.

2.2 Concept/Key Note Address The Deputy Director for Ministry of Youth Development Indigenization and Empowerment Mr. TG Mashonganyika gave the key note opening speech. His speech was focused on the youth policy of 2000 which provides a framework for the development and empowerment of youth in a comprehensive, coordinated and multi-sectoral manner. He highlighted that the document was still ‘work in progress’ and will be launched before end of June. The aim of the national youth policy is to

‘Empower the youth by creating an enabling environment and marshaling the resources necessary for undertaking programmes and projects to fully develop the youths’ mental, moral, social, economic, political,

cultural, spiritual and physical potential in order to improve their quality of life’. One of the key strategies for youth employment and sustainable livelihoods is to foster greater linkages between the labour market, entrepreneurship opportunities, and education and skills development to ensure youth realize their full development and potential. The goals of the youth policy are:

To empower youth to participate and contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation, To develop a coordinated response and participation by all stakeholders in the development and

empowerment of the youth, To instill in youth a clear sense of national identity and respect for national principles and values, and To promote the health of young people and develop youth oriented healthcare.

In his key note address Mr. Mashonganyika emphasized on the need to have an all stakeholder buy-in to the draft policy being developed as well as participation in the stakeholder consultations. He also encouraged stakeholders to mainstream youth in their developmental processes since ‘youth’ is a cross-cutting issue among others and encouraged all participants to deliberate on issues affecting the youth with that in mind.

3.0 PRESENTATIONS:

3.1 Youth Employment in Zimbabwe: Perspectives from the 2011 Labour survey: James Wakiaga UNDP Economics Advisor The UN definition of youth is ‘persons aged 15 to 34 years’ whilst the AU sets their upper limit slightly higher. According to the 2011 labour survey the economically active population in Zimbabwe stands at 87.3%. Whilst one would expect that as one gets more educated their chances of employment get higher, the survey revealed that employment chances of youths were highest for those who completed secondary education as compared to primary and tertiary with those who completed tertiary education only accounting for less than half of the ones who complete secondary education. The employment trends for the youths were more favourable for the unskilled


meaning to say most of the youths in employment are doing low paying jobs and that very few youths are in white or blue collar jobs.

Percent Distribution of Currently Employed

Population Aged 15 Years and Above by Level of

Skill and Sex

Skill level Male Female total

Professional 6.3% 4.3% 5.3%

Skilled 8.2% 2.8% 5.5%

Semi-skilled 7.1% 3.2% 5.2%

Unskilled 77.3% 88.6% 82.9%

Not known 0.1% 0.2% 0.1%

Not stated 0.9% 1.0% 0.9%

The report also revealed that the ILO estimates that 75 million young people are unemployed globally. The presentation provoked some thinking around the following areas:

Best practices on youth employment policies and interventions from other countries in the region as a learning platform

Harmonizing existing policies to promote employment and business opportunities for youth Identifying potential sectors within the economy that are labour intensive Taking advantage of the demographic dividend to spur growth

3.2 Moderated Plenary discussions: Ethel

The formal sector was generally defined as a form of employment where one gets a salary and a number of perks

such as medical aid, insurance and pension from the employer and they sign a contract whilst in an informal

arrangement no such arrangement exist. Another consideration for the two sectors was that the informal sector in a

broad sense refers to individuals engaged in activities of income generation in an unregistered set up for instance

flea markets. The formal is one where an individual or individuals are formerly registered and their business is

considered as a legal persona. Skills are prerequisites for youth employability. There is a general mismatch or

paradox on the skills and what is available on the market and a need for an integrated approach on what is on

demand in terms of skills.


3.3.1 Question and Answer Session for segment one

QUESTION / COMMENT RESPONSE

1. Ministry of youth: How are you going to implement the skills development especially in Rural areas?

The Ministry is one of the most decentralized Government Ministries with representation at District Level and down to Ward level. Youths are free to consult the local representatives on upcoming courses and also come up with suggestions on what they want to be trained on

2. Does the Ministry of SMEs have a skills base

it works with?

The Ministry has a program of delivering training as per skills demand. An example is the Johane Masowe sect which spearheaded training in tin-smithing and welding. It started off by one member who went for training who is now training members of the sect. The youths should be organized into groups so that they receive training in their areas and also identify the needs or demand for certain products for example coffin making. Most trainings are carried out on a voluntary services. Other specialized trainings are delivered at Poly technical colleges and have higher level qualifications or more strict requirements like 5 O level passes and youths are supposed to pay their own fees. Informal apprenticeship program in conjunction with ILO. Ministry education goes into communities identifying and engage the youth in demand driven courses offering mobile training units based on the particular community for example if a community has a lot of bees they do beekeeping. Unused buildings in communities are used as training centers. Oral interviews are carried out by Ministry of education so that youths can be taken on trade tests so that they are certified. No prescribed training but youths identify their own training

3. Are there any policies to protect female

employees especially as single women as

there are many cases of abuse of women

searching for employment opportunity

Such cases should be reported and sometimes some of the young ladies come and solicit for favours and make men vulnerable out of desperation otherwise any woman who falls prey of male bosses should not keep quiet they should report. Youths should not wait for policies but be proactive. Bridging courses are offered to cater for those who fail mathematics and science

4. The Youths wanted to know the

requirements for loans as well as the issues

of collateral

Some answers were presented as part of the presentations by the Finance institutions which were unique to each of them. Stanbic bank has a wealth creation facility offering a maximum loan size of $20,000. Most facilities are inclined towards males with a proportion of 66% male and 34% female because of the applications received.

5. Unemployment statistics speak a lot,

especially in the unskilled category. Does

the Ministry of Labour have any plans to

Ministry of Education has a role to play in this, in that they have to revisit the education policy to include skills development which is required in entrepreneurship.


close the gap? Ministry of Labour only looks at legislation on hiring and firing of workers as well as disputes

6. Ministry of education is not doing enough

in skills development and entrepreneurship

skills?

Ministry of Education is in the process of considering the famous Nziramasanga Commission recommendations which also had an element of skills development. Otherwise doing a degree only helps one to be logical in life no degree is better than the other. Skills are much more important than a pile of qualifications which may not bring income or food on the table

7. Who is crafting these good policies for the

youths and how are the youths involved?

Consultative meetings are usually held to solicit input from youth among other beneficiaries of policies from each ministry and usually people do not participate but only come in and complain when a policy has been put in place. A youth policy will be launched soon and the youths are encouraged to take part in the ongoing discussions as well and also be present when the document is launched so that they are in picture of what is going on. Peri urban and rural youths have no clear cut declaration as a result youths are not aware of the policies and ministries have a role to play in addressing that

8. How come there is no awareness of these

policies and yet they have a big bearing on

the youth?

Youths should not wait for the policies to come to them, they should be proactive and initiate meetings with the different Ministries

9. Pass rates are on the decrease, about 80%

failure of late as of 2012 exams, wastage

being not addressed, what kind of

entrepreneurship skills are being imparted

to address that?

The ministry of education is looking at issues of incorporating entrepreneurship training in schools starting from very low levels but this is work in progress

4.0 Policy Reflections, Analysis and Dialogue on Youth and Employment in Zimbabwe

4.1 Reflections within the Ministry of Small to Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs): Dennis Shure Governed by the Small and Medium Enterprises Act Chapter 24:12. The purpose is to promote, develop and grow Micro, small and medium enterprises in Zimbabwe whether they are operating in the formal or informal sector of the economy for sustainable development. The policy goals are:

• To generate sustainable jobs, reduce poverty and stimulate growth for the well being of all • To create an enabling environment that promotes the development and growth of MSMEs and

Cooperatives thus enhance their contribution to national development


Classification of Micro Enterprises, Small Enterprises and Medium Enterprises

A “micro enterprise”, “small enterprise”, or “medium enterprise” operating within a sector or subsector of the

economy means any enterprise of such size as is determined by the formula – A+B+C where

A the average maximum total number of full time employees during any calendar year

enterpriseB the maximum total annual turnover of

an enterprise

C the maximum gross value of the assets (excluding immovable property) of an enterprise

Some of the challenges and constraints to the MSMEs development include the uncoordinated institutional frameworks, inadequate workspace and poor status of infrastructure. In some instances the inability to apply modern production and communication technologies become a stumbling block in the development of MSMEs. Other constraints include high levels of informalities and high costs of finance. The regulations for MSMEs are largely designed for large cooperation’s and sometimes make the operations of MSMEs difficult. Other areas needing attention are research and development and information dissemination within the sector as well as issues of corporate Governance and best practices. Some new developments are that there will be a fund under SEDCO for MSMEs with special considerations to the different roles of men, women, youth and the physically handicapped. A revolving fund will also be established in rural areas. There are plans for Government to loan guarantee schemes with banks and Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) to cater for those with no collateral security which is more prominent in MSMEs. Another consideration is that of promoting Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOS) as a way of motivating MSMEs to develop a culture of saving and self financing

4.3 Reflections within the Ministry of Labour: Ms.Senzeni Gumbo The Ministry’s mandate is employment creation, protection and promotion of the rights of workers, career guidance for job market entry. The legal and regulatory framework is the Labour Act C28:01. The challenges faced by the Ministry include the high unemployment especially among youth, lack of proper coordination and administration with other Ministries as well as a growing informal sector that is unaccounted for rendering policies useless. There is need or policy measures that are well coordinated and integrated between Government Ministries to intensify the complimentarity between formal and informal sector. There is need to improve data collected on the informal sector in view of the potential incomes raised and employment opportunities as well as contribution to national development. The recommendations from the Ministry are that there be organization of the informal sector to inform labour market policy in realizing full potential for economic development. Major stakeholders should therefore work towards empowering and safeguarding the interests of the informal sector.


4.4 Reflections within Agriculture Practice: Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Pardon Njerere The key issues to the Zimbabwean economy are GDP, export earnings, formal employment. The scenario can be summarized as follows:

Issues in the Agric Sector

Agriculture is key to the Zimbabwe’s economy.

3

15

45

25

70

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

GDP Export

Earnings

Formal

Employment

Livelihoods

Per

cen

t (%

)

Major highlights of the presentation were:

The world population is growing faster than the production rate of food required to feed the population The growing population is exerting more pressure on the land through competition for land and land use Unsustainable land use options being used by some farmers contributing to climate change There is need for more integrated sustainable use of resources

Involving youth in agriculture and decision making is key in ensuring sustainable development. This is in the realization that African population constitutes more than 60% youth. Youth unemployment is one of the over aching problems affecting developing countries and yet some research in some circles show that the current youth are getting more educated and ambitious, giving room for more economically productive and focused workforce. The Agriculture sector remains the greatest opportunity for youth employment. Although low incomes continue to characterise the agriculture sector, farming is also highly threatened by the rural urban migration as youths migrate to urban areas in search for higher paying jobs which are not seasonal. The sector has opportunities in the agriculture value chain which include production, processing, marketing and trade. The sector enjoys conducive policies such as no barriers for entry and exit unlike other sectors like mining, low and sometimes no duty on machinery imports. The major challenges faced by the youths in this sector include (but are not limited to) access to finance as youths are considered high risk, access to land and more lucrative markets, climate change, lack of incentives and opportunities. Youths need to change their mindset of taking agriculture as a ‘dirty’ industry and grab the opportunities it presents.


4.5 Reflections within the Ministry of Economic Planning in relation to the Medium Term Plans (MTPs): Mr. C. M Mujajati The Medium Term Plan (MTP) 2011-2015 implemented by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion is Zimbabwe’s national development strategy building on the foundations laid by the Short term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP) and the 3 year macro-economic policy and budget framework (STERP 11). The MTP is influenced by the socio-economic lessons from the past, the country’s aspirations and national priorities as well as regional and international best practices. The vision of the MTP is Enhancing a democratic developmental state anchored by a growing and transforming, socially just economy. The objectives of the MTP are:

i. Sustainable economic growth and development;

ii. Poverty reduction;

iii. Employment creation;

iv. Price stability; and

v. Sustainable Balance of Payments position.

MTP youth employment creation programmes:

• Capacity Building for SMEs and cooperatives;

• Loan Booth Programme;

• Development of savings and credit cooperative societies;

• Business Management and Entrepreneurship Training Programme;

• Career Guidance and Staff Development Programme;

• Networking and Linkages Programme;

• Common Services Centres/Business Shelters;

• Corporate Entrepreneurship Programme;

• Micro Sector Entrepreneurship Training;

• Zimbabwe Development Communities Programme;

• Vocational Training Programme.

In conclusion, it is important to note that the youth are the major economically active group within the population and that empowerment programmes remain critical in addressing employment challenges facing youth. There still remains a great need for the development of specialized financing mechanisms for medium to long term finance to enable youths to access affordable loans for viable business proposals.

4.6.1 Moderated Plenary discussions: James Wakiaga (UNDP Economic Advisor)


1. Min of Agric when talking of youth and

access to land what is the procedure of

getting land and are there any measures to

control of the sub leasing cost of land ?

Ministry is responsible for production not allocating land. Sub leasing of land is prohibited so the exorbitant prices are unofficial

2. Are there any action plans on policies for Ministry has come up with a comprehensive policy


the development of value chains ? covering 2013 to 2033 covering all the tools needed for auctioning of crucial events and is being tabled before Parliament. Value chain development is also covered

3. To what extent is youth programming

evident in government ministries ?

All ministries have something to do with youth and what is needed is coordination between players and this platform is a good starting point

4. As far as education and skills are we

providing them appropriately? What does

this say about our education system and

what do we need to do considering that the

curriculum does not give graduates

entrepreneurial skills.

The Zimbabwe National Qualification framework is being pursued. General education on one side and going back to the F1 and F2 schools. This came as a follow up to the Nziramasanga commission of enquiry which is now being revisited by the ministry, starting with primary school working on technical vocational courses, national foundation certificate, skills, general education looking at the Bas, Masters. ZIMEQUA Zimbabwe Education and Qualification Scheme

5. SMEs new policy coming out and

uncoordinated approach between

stakeholders, how do we build the blocks

towards coordination?

The policy will be launched in a week’s time and stakeholders will be given an opportunity to make their contributions.

6. Ministry of labour, career guidance, the

formal side which you concentrate on is

shrinking wouldn’t it make sense to change

focus and look at the informal sector.

Mobile registration on the skilled and unskilled low level job seekers is being carried out at the moment. The Ministry is working on the possibility of a web based placement in partnership with ILO so that job seekers register online to improve efficiency on how to service clients. A Policy to respond to the current environment will be looked into. People operate between formal and informal sector different clients using the same resources. Labour administration like workers committee, trade unions. The absence of explicit provisions of situations were individuals fit in the two sectors formal and informal.

7. Agriculture: youth not wanting to be

involved is a perception, youth farmers

don’t benefit from any of the schemes

running. What allocation has been given to

the youths?

Allocation of Land is under Ministry of Lands and Resettlement whereas Mini of Agriculture Mechanization focuses on skills development. Rural land is free, one only needs to approach the traditional leadership and be allocated a piece of land. Youths are encouraged to apply as well.

8. Good policies in Ministries and not all

youths have access to that,

Youths should be proactive in getting to visit and know what each ministry does instead of waiting for someone to come to them. Out of ignorance someone learnt that its free to register a PVO after some youths had fallen prey to some people who claim to know how to register PVOs.

9. Why promote being small for instance

having small enterprises like carpentry

instead of promoting big businesses ?

Small businesses are the biggest contributor to the economy and if promoted well they have a potential to grow big. It’s only fair to be realistic in planning small with an aim of growing bigger.


10. Who is planning for these youths?

Everything sounds very new to them there

seem not to be any interface between

Ministries and the youths

The youths are not proactive enough to look out for what affects them; they wait for workshops and only get shocked to learn of new developments affecting them.

11. Why is it difficult to start up businesses? It’s more expensive to create opportunities and business in Zimbabwe as compared to other countries and it’s a fact we need to have at the back of our minds as we venture into businesses until the economy improves. In other countries starting up a businesses is very reasonable and many people opt for businesses as compared to working for someone

12. SMEs, how are you engaging the registrar

of companies?

The ordinary process takes very long and creates opportunities for fraudulent practices and many people have fallen prey of dirty businesses

13. There are a lot of overlaps between

ministries and yet some ministries don’t

seem to be implementing ministries they

just plan and other implement?

There are some working groups or clusters and ministries like any other stakeholder are encouraged to participate so that there is no overlap, for example clusters where all related ministries meet for instance economic cluster

14. To what extent are these policies being

implemented?

Some are no longer relevant that’s why there is review of policies. Some ministries are very decentralized with representation at ward level and stakeholder’s input can be taken at that level. There are perceptions about certain ministries which need to be clarified

15. How consultative was the processes of the

Youth Policy Review and formulation as

there are cries from other youth that they

were never aware of the processes?

Ministries went through associations and those not registered through ZYC they may not have been reached otherwise the processes was overly consultative

16. How are Ministries dealing with corruption As citizens of this country we have a role to play, we should not promote corruption by offering bribes but report such cases

Additional Information and discussion points

Ministry of youth launched a Website www.mydie.gov.zw and also set up a public relations department

devoted to information dissemination and client enquiry on any specific matter

Issue of liquidity inflow of finance and foreign investment are very important in moving the economy

forward.

Resource limitations within Government are factors affecting service delivery.

Some Ministries are not as decentralized as the Ministry of youth and there is need to look at

representation at local levels.

http://www.mydie.gov.zw/


Enabling environment: an enabling environment, legal tools or legislative framework that enables someone

to do what they want to do. The door is open so the enabling environment is there

5.0 Unpacking the Concept of the Informal Sector in Zimbabwe 5.1 Informal Sector – Labour and Employment: Zimbabwe Economic Policy Analysis and Research Unit (ZEPARU) Dr R Chigumira The presentation centred on a number of key areas and definition of terms which include: Informality: There are several definitions of the informal sector, mainly focusing on operation modalities

Units operating at a low level of organisation, with labour relations based mostly on casual employment, kinship and social relations rather than contractual arrangements.

Involves production and sale of goods or services which are unregistered and hidden from the state for tax/benefit and /or labour law purposes, though legal in all other respects

Informal Employment on the other hand focuses on employers and own account workers (communal farmers, peri-urban, resettlement farmers) paid employees not entitled to any contribution to pension fund by employer, paid annual leave, paid sick leave and written contract with employers; A Question to Consider is, whether a highly informalised sector dominated by informal employment will ever deliver sustainable growth and development that will lead to poverty reduction and improved well being? Informal Economy: Informal Economy Growing as Formal Sector is Declining- “Economic Dualism”

– Challenge- Policies Focusing more on Formal Sector; – Understanding the Operations and Dynamics of this Sector and its Contribution to GDP Imprecise;

• Statistics (Time Series) on the Size and Contribution of Informal Sectors limited- Inhibits Effective Planning

for the Sector • 2011 LFS has provided updated data that can be used to further interrogate the potential in this sector; • Prominent Employer of Informal Sector Workers:- Agriculture (77%); Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of

Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles (8%)- (LFS 2011, p. 114); • Currently employed population (15 years and above) Estimated at 5.4 Million- 84% of these in Informal

Employment LFS, p.116. Challenges of Informality

• Informal Activities are on the Fringes of the Law, they are Subject to Harassment, including Bribery and Extortion, and Repression from officials;

• ILO Refers to the Informal Economy is in Terms of Decent Work Deficits characterised by: – Poor-quality; unproductive; unremunerated jobs that are not recognized or protected by law; the

absence of rights at work; inadequate social protection; the lack of representation and voice • Illegal Activities, such as Smuggling and Trading in Stolen Commodities etc also characterize the Informal

Sector; • Infrastructure and Services in some areas were informal employees operate need to be revamped to

promote Decent Work (Factory Shells; Banking Facilities; Ablution Blocks etc).

5.2 Informal Sector within the Framework of Small and Medium Enterprises: The Small and Medium Enterprises Act (Chapter 24:12)

• The purpose is to promote, develop and grow Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Zimbabwe whether they are operating in the formal or informal sector of the economy for sustainable development. Strategies to revise laws and regulations to improve the legal and regulatory environment will be implemented.


• Most of the Acts and By-laws have an impact on the growth and development of indigenous economic activities such that they continue to hinder both informal and formal economic activities. The policy advocates for the mainstreaming of MSMEs issues in all stakeholder, particularly in local authorities strategic planning processes

5.2.1 Moderated Plenary discussions: William Tsuma (UNDP DFF Advisor)


1. Min of Agriculture seems to have more informality

Agriculture may appear to be informal but in terms of it being recorded in the national accounts to contribute to GDP, the records are captured

2. What is the green economy that Min of

Agriculture is referring to?

These are vendors who sell agricultural commodities after 4pm when all authorities have knocked off on the streets of major towns until late evening.

3. What are the plans to allocate land to single

women by Ministry of Agriculture?

Unfortunately the ministry responsible is not here to address that otherwise land is a free resource in the rural areas only in urban areas that’s where land is sold at market price but determined by the Local authority

4. We need a definition from Ministry of

Agriculture on technological development

on the land and sophisticated machinery as

well as value addition

The mandate of agriculture is that of ensuring food security at household up to national level and technological advancements in terms of low cost production is an ongoing research by the ministry

5. We seem to be endorsing informality and no

growth as we even have a full ministry to

deal with ‘small things’

The future of the small businesses is the focus and the ministry doesn’t want to make it difficult for players to start off. Another thing is that what we call small is relatively not so in all cases when we talk of small businesses.

6. We seem to be slowly formalizing the

informal

There is a thin line between formal and informal depending on who is looking at it. Some who want to collect rents end up formalizing the informal and there are formalities that are “formal” within the informal sector.

7. What is the role of Local Government in

issues of land?

Local Government is responsible for area planning, financial planning as well as coordinating issues of development especially in rural areas through the District Development Committees. In urban areas they allocate land, for instance land allocated in Glenview for purposes of small businesses is a good example

8. What paperwork is needed by Local

Government for land application

No big list of requirements just your form of identification and an application is enough


Day 2: Reflection of Day One from the Youth Leaders: Moderated by Laura Mautsa (World Vision International)

“You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of audacity. It comes through a non-conformity, the courage to turn your back on the old formulae and to invent the future”

(Thomas Sankara)

Presented by Nqobile Moyo (VIVA Zimbabwe) and Rumbidzai Mashavave (TESHE) Key Discussions Day 1

• The Youth demographic and growing Youth Population. Opportunity or Challenge? • The question of youth employment: Shrinking formal economy – growing informal economy • Informal Economy or SMEs? Is that the Pathway to Sustainable development, Economic growth and

Employment Creation? • How to leverage the Youth bulge, available skill sets for productive growth, Sustainable livelihoods • Reflections on the existing policy and legal frameworks (Concern on the implementation gap)

Observations

• Existing policy implementation gap and some levels of ‘policy contradictions / Inconsistencies’. Probably effective coordination challenge at government level might address this challenge

• Level of youth participation and involvement in policy formulation and implementation processes is low (evident in the limited knowledge of some of the policies by participating Youth)

• Low levels of youth participation in employment (be it the formal or informal). Youth continue to reel under the weight of unemployment

• The Gender issue among Youth and in policy in terms of access to economic / productive opportunities is not getting needed attention

Roles of Youth

1. Platforms for Youth Leaders to interrogate and review existing sectoral policies and how they relate to Youth Priorities.

2. As Youth leaders, to play a central role in disseminating information to young people in Zimbabwe on existing policies and opportunities for increased youth participation in development processes

3. Work collaboratively with the Ministry of Youth and other relevant government ministries in advocating for effective youth mainstreaming and implementation of existing pro youth policies.

4. Actively participate as youth leaders in key policy dialogues and review – to enhance understanding, highlight youth priorities track implementation and curve out spaces for increased youth participation in economic processes

5. As youth leaders, there is need to seize the opportunity provided by policy provisions (Pronouncements) to spur economic growth and facilitate increased youth participation in development processes

6.0 Positioning the Informal Economy to bridge the Youth Unemployment gap

6.1 Building a Culture of entrepreneurship: Luxon Zembe (Management Solutions). Culture is defined as a way of life shared by a defined group of people as well as an integrated system of shared values, norms, beliefs, traditions, practices, symbols and processes. It was emphasized that losers play with losers so if one wants to be in business or be an entrepreneur they need to hang around with winners and it’s important to know the characteristics of winners. Entrepreneurship is about human needs today, tomorrow and the future therefore it should provide sustainable, creative and innovative solutions to human needs. Our past shouldn’t


enslave us, some people are afraid of taking advantage of opportunities that come instead of fearing the unknown. We should venture into activities that form capital and create wealth instead of waiting for bank loans and financial injections from elsewhere. It is important to deliver sustainable solutions to human needs in a faster, simpler way to the satisfaction of customers. We should learn from the Chinese who have products for all classes. For instance if one wants a nokia phone for less than $100 they make a suitable product and for those who are more sophisticated they also produce the same phone for a higher price with better quality. What is important is to capture as much customer base as possible. Ideas should be turned into valuable goods and services in a sustainable manner not remain as ideas or dreams. In business it is important to have financial discipline and intelligence not to invest in things that are not profitable just for the sake of investing. This calls for networking with business partners at that level. We learn from mistakes and the moment one admits their mistake they are half way through recovery, which is part of social intelligence. Our culture teaches us to avoid risk but in business we need to manage risks and this starts at a very tender age. When a child is climbing a tree don’t discourage them just encourage to do it in such a way that they don’t fall otherwise it’s a skill they will use in life and apply in business. We need to also learn to choose leaders not politicians who are egocentric. An entrepreneur doesn’t go for free things but contributes to the economy. There is nothing for free in this world somebody somehow would have paid for it. Pleasure without morality is not good. We should learn from Silicon Valley and maximize on high potentials. For a good business operating environment we need reforms in the legal, regulatory and operating frameworks and models.

The tragedy of young people: • Wealth without work: youth want quick fix things they want to get rich before they do some work • Business without ethics: no business operates with no guide • Behaviour without integrity: we need to define who we are and never to apologize for who we are • Want of free things in life • Pleasure without morality: one needs to work first before they enjoy the fruits of their labour no the other

way round

Quotes:

No risk no glory, don’t avoid risk manage it

No sweat no eating

no pain no gain

no passion no sustaining

power

no relationships no business

no integrity no

marketability

no ethics no trust


• Lack of faith in who they are and their potential: if they believed in their ideas they would follow them and tell a story

• Living a life without God: some people deny that they were created and think that they came from evolution

6.2 Building skills through training and exposure: Nephas Munyeche SNV SNV is dedicated to a society where all people enjoy the freedom to pursue their own sustainable development. This is achieved through partners. SNV designs, manages and supports innovative, cost-effective and sustainable development programs that strengthen the capacity of local organizations to create large scale and lasting benefits for low income groups. Strategy for 2000 to 2015 is to concentrate on 3 sectors which include Agriculture, Renewable Energy, Water Sanitation and Hygiene. Subsector studies carried out so far:

I. Dairy production versus market demand II. Soya bean production versus national requirement

III. Capacity building services including training on food safety and quality standards required by modern value markets

Other activities include;

• Facilitate linkages with input and output markets • Piloting certification of SME products with Standards Association of Zimbabwe. • Matching Grant Facility for technological upgrades • Create Fund – Loan Facility – but require collateral. Currently fund has 18 Million. Expected to grow to 35

Million. • Advisory Services for Business Plan Development / Formalisation of Business • Market Studies – Scanning the business environment

SNV has worked with youths in a number of projects which include the Agro-dealer training project, the value chain studies and pilots and a number of their Local Capacity Builders are youths. These are Part-time Field Officers who work under an Advisor. The field trip to be hosted by SNV is a success story of youths involved in value chains and working with Private Sector earning a decent living from the proceeds of bananas they sell to Matanuska. These youths tried a lot of options and got discouraged initially but eventually settled for Matanuska who has been an honest buyer bridging the market bottlenecks to their advantage. The project is in the Honde Valley the land of bananas.

6.3 Strengthening Business and Market Linkages (Value and Production Chain):

MATANUSKA (Private Sector): Richard Chiwandire Matanuska Marketing (Pvt) Ltd is a wholesaler of top quality fruit and vegetables, specialising in bananas but also focusing on other fruit and vegetable main lines such as apples, citrus, potatoes, onions and tomatoes. Supplying both the formal and informal sectors in Zimbabwe through its sales depots in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Masvingo, Matanuska Marketing has the capacity of supplying all major cities in Zimbabwe with fresh produce. A subsdiary company called Nzarayapera (Poverty is gone) Investment (Private) Limited was established to manage and administer the needs of and expand the small holder value chain. This has enabled the company to venture into other crops such as winter sugar beans. In 2008 Matanuska faced unmet local and export demand of 40%. In 2009 Matanuska joined SNV’s call to the private sector for the development of a banana value chain which included small holder banana producers. The goals for the pilot venture were to:

Pilot small holder contract production of 400 tonnes of bananas Provide logistics and distribution channel for small holder banana farmers


Contracting small scale banana producers and providing them with inputs and extension services with the aim of increasing their yields and quality.

This was followed up with a guaranteed market as an incentive for a sustainable win-win inclusive business model.

The initial phase of the business model was implemented during the period 2009 to 2011 in Honde Valley whilst from 2011 to 2012 the model was replicated with the help of FAO. From 2012 to the current, Matanuska with the help of USAID (Zim-AIED) and SNVs ZADT the business venture is expanding to other areas. For Matanuska one of the benefits was sustainable diversification of the supply base after losing part of their productive banana plantations to land reform. For the Small holder farmer there was commercialisation of the traditional banana production resulting in:

Increased yields

Guaranteed market

Increased returns per kilogram of bananas sold

While for Government the benefits included employment creation, increased exports and increase in tax collection base. Transport and packaging logistics are coordinated by Matanuska in order to avoid loss of quality. 16% of farmers working with Matanuska are youths and they hire labour worthy $1,320 per year on half a hectare at $4 per day. Continuous interactive dialogue with stakeholders was cited as important for success of the business model. Quote: White collar jobs and town life, is it the way? Is the vast potential of agriculture in Zimbabwe not the future?

6.4Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) Presentation: Tichaona Kaseke IDBZ is registered as a Private Business Corporation or Private Limited. The bank has been spearheading funding for youth projects through Ministry of Youth Development Indigenization and Empowerment offices. Youths considered are those below the age of 35 so if anyone if 35 and 2 days they don’t qualify. At time of application one has to be exactly 35 and below. Projects that demonstrate potential to generate sustainable income and create employment for other youths are given first priority and the Field Officers do a site visit to verify the contents of the proposal to avoid artificially good projects like the one they get from Harare and other major towns. Maximum loan threshold is up to $5,000 with an interest rate of 8% per annum with tenure of up to 36 months. Proposals are acceptable in any language (no need to punish an applicant twice firstly by failing in the academic field then loan application). Examples of projects funded before include: Carpentry, welding, garment construction, market gardening, piggery and Poultry.


6.5 Presentation by Technoserve: Dr Maxwell Mutema Technoserve is an American non-profit development organization which is spearheading the Agro initiative Zimbabwe in collaboration with Delta Corporation, UK Aid, PWC and Deloitte. The philosophy used is that Private enterprises can drive economic growth and positive social change; a hand up is better than a hand out. It works through talented business advisors many of them former consultants or industry experts. The approach can diagrammatically be summarized as follows:

The agro initiative is a grant run to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship in growing businesses. Since this is a grant integrity, honest and trust are the basic principles under which grants are issues. Businesses participating are judged under the following considerations / criteria:

1. Innovativeness, sustainability and replicability of business idea 2. Medium sized Zimbabwean businesses who want to engage with small holder farmers

3. Grants $25,000 to 50,000, businesses must show how the money will be used

4. Creative and sustainable ideas: viable business model

5. Ability to create 25 to 50 new jobs and opportunities

6. Businesses can be new or existing as long as the business concept makes sense

The judging process begins with Deloitte and Price Waterhouse Coopers judges narrowing to the 25 deserving concepts. The shortlisted applicants are visited by the Technoserve team in order to assess the reality on the ground


of their ideas and at the same time, they are requested to submit a comprehensive business plan. The second round is judged by experienced business people who are responsible for selecting winners in accordance with defined criteria. Youths are encouraged to participate in this competition

6.6 Presentation by Zimbabwe Womens Bureau (ZWB): Definite Mudzingwa. The presentation centered on Hatcliffe, Enyandeni village and Hopley farm, a project implemented under the partnership of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) a Quaker organization that included people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. The main strategic objective being: ‘secure and sustainable livelihoods for youth and other vulnerable members of the community’. The process entails sustainable utilization of local skills and resources for youth enterprise development and employment creation, forging innovative linkages for social and economic transformation and development, improving access to appropriate technology and development, community associations and trading networks including youth capacity building. The livelihoods restoration program aims at enabling communities and especially youth in the targeted areas. The challenges faced by the project include: youth mobility between towns and rural areas in search for jobs and money, stereotypes and negative perceptions associated with working with you, resistance of youths to work in clusters as well as the microwave generation which was explained as a ‘quick fix’ type of life. Opportunities for the youths are the capacity building element, innovative skills of youths, the growth of the SMEs as well as other live examples in the country and across the borders.

6.7 Presentation by Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU): Paul Zakariya The Zimbabwe Farmers Union is the oldest farmer representative body in the country, which has been in existence for 74 years. Membership is voluntary and it’s a membership driven organization. The current membership age group is 45 to 85 years showing that the youths are not actively involved. Women constitute 63% of membership currently and yet 85% of the leadership is men. The Union project implemented under ZFU saw the inclusion of the private sector in the form of Matanuska and other players. They have youth and women structures which work on price negotiations, coordination of services and encouraging dialogue. Issues of constraints included limited financial support, poor market access, and dwindling private sector capacity. In 2012 ZFU came up with a project on assisting aged farmers with inputs and this seems to be creating a gap between those who are producing and those who will produce since most of them are passing on. This generated some shift in thinking on how the youths could be involved in agriculture so as to have a continuity of the sector which gave birth to the young farmers club which is more of a revival of a sector that came to a halt over the years.

A pilot was launched in Mashonaland East and as of April it had spread out into schools and communities in other provinces. Youths were trained in functional agriculture skills for example irrigation during dry seasons. Starting form 1 July there will be a project launch called Fit for Life (FFL) which includes school leavers and age groups of 15 to 18. This will operate on a demand based skills development approach using either residential or in field. These will then be integrated into the Young Farmers Club to work with ZFU partners like SNV, Matanuska and many others. ZFU also provides a link to access to finances, marketing among others and the target is 31,000 youths by 2014.

Another project is up scaling agriculture which will be piloted in Mash east and Manicaland provinces in a total of 6 Districts in total. The limit is the unavailability of funds, otherwise this could have been a countrywide project. Demo plots will be used in schools instead of lead farmers so that youths in the communities can come and view and learn. A documentary will be developed on this project to showcase the success stories. Opportunities for the youth in agriculture include:


Quote: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors but rather we borrow it from our children.”

The policies we put today may not affect us but might sacrifice the future of our children therefore we need to involve everybody including the youth in policy formulation.

7.0 Success Stories Sizakele Mkwedini Tayengwa: She is a youth in her early twenties. She is a film maker by profession who started off with her parents wanting her to venture into other career paths such as banking and Law. She knew what she wanted and made sure she followed her passion and has since made reasonable strides in making a name for herself. She works with her husband and a colleague. They started off with no financing and worked to raise their capital to buy the equipment which they are using right now. Her advice to other youths is that they should use the little they have to empower someone and not wait for opportunities or freebees. She no has working relationships with organizations like Culture Fund and a number of donor organizations having started off working for as little at $20 per job to where she is now. Bright BK Nezomba: He is a youth in his early twenties who is working on production and marketing of bananas through Matanuska. He grew up with his maternal grandmother after his parents passed away. He attended school in Honde valley and passed with 8 Ordinary level passes and never attended any tertiary school. He inherited a piece of land from his grandmother which he used for contract farming under an SNV sponsored program which introduced the banana project. He was part of the team that was trained in banana production by Matanuska who also provided a ready market. He also hosted the whole team for a field visit to his banana plantation. From the banana money he has achieved a lot. Some of the achievements include:

1. Bride price & wedding 2. School fees for WIFE (Marymount)& niece (ZOU) 3. Medical bills- grandmother 4. Residential stand in Hauna- now at slab level 5. Renovation on current residence 6. Investments in agricultural projects

National youth training programs

Study circles

ZFU training programs

•Kadoma Cotton training center

•Foundation for Farming

•Tobacco growers trust

•Kushinga Phikhelela training center


7.1 Moderated plenary session: Clara


1. SNV, what are post training support systems?

SNV does not give out handouts and entrepreneurs do not require handouts but rather business opportunities, which SNV facilitates as an after training service as well as establishing economic and commercial relationships.

2. How long does it take for a loan to

be approved by IDBZ?

There is no definite period but it ranges from a week to 6 months depending on the number of applications and availability of funds. The general rule is that after 2 weeks you get a response on whether your application has been approved or not. Quality of proposal also counts especially on proving profitability

3. Technoserve, do you only offer

funding in the form of a

competition or it’s a revolving

fund?

These are donor funds which are targeted at encouraging a spirit of entrepreneurship and the rules are such that the monies be given to people with creativity and business thinking as a way of encouraging others to emulate good examples and also to promote employment creation.


4. Tetrad, how long does it take for

order financing to be approved?

Ten working days on average following a corporate nature model. Financial literacy has to be trained because of the hardships that people went through and the drive towards making quick money which misleads people especially with inadequate information and people setting up projects on hear say and such projects are being funded without considering profitability. What has to be taught is core competencies from an early age.

5. Financial literacy, what are the

limitations in view as financial

institutions and how can our

education curriculum be adjusted

to address that?

Some people think that loans make them poorer whilst some think loans are free money. SMEs is coming up with a concept of working with groups who should form lending arrangements in the form of SACCOS and through these groups the Ministry will train members on financial literacy and finance management. Some financial institutions will lose clients due to issues of collateral and interest rates. Why should one get expensive money to start a project it’s even better to raise it through other means than be stuck with a financial institution which will take part of the cake. Banks need to be innovative for them to survive in the near future. Banks usually keep money that people use in a short space of time and money for loans comes from pension funds which are able to run on a long term basis since beneficiaries require them after 40 years or so. Banks in most cases act as the middle man and would want to make something out of it and the owner also wants to make profits then all the burden is put on the borrower and instigated as bank charges.

6. Ministry of SMEs claims to be

coordinating all policies to do

with SMEs what do they mean by

that as it seems they are affected

by a number of ministries?

Various organizations that have a stake on SMEs sit on the advisory board for example the RBZ and the SMEs. The advisory board is chaired by the SMEs chairperson with other people from various departments being members of this advisory board. It also includes civic leaders who can also be role models to advise the minister. The SMEs act empowers the Ministry to look at all the policies and harmonize them in line with this act e.g. ZIMRA has a different definition for SMEs

7. Banks only lend to registered

account holders how about the

majority who don’t have bank

accounts?

Banks can only know people through a record and the simplest record is the bank account managed by them which will make them understand your financial discipline and ability to manage and save

8. Barriers to accessibility of loans,

what ways have been found to

reduce these barriers?

Instead of proof of residence some banks allow you to have an affidavit, a letter from your Councilor or any community leader. Some banks are now accepting movable property

9. Are there any mentorship

programs?

Society has modeled a concept where we think that an MP and a Minister are politicians; these people should operate out of that sphere of influence. They should be national leaders not politicians. Zimbabwe requires leaders not politicians. There are organizations such a Boost Zimbabwe which works with University students on mentorship, CZI and ZNCC at Corporate level. Youths are free to go to these organizations for mentorship or from leaders such as Nigel Chanakira, Strive Masiwa and many others. Some businesses could also be approached to get mentorship at different levels but first one needs to identify what one needs to be mentored in then a professional relationship can be built


8.0 Workshop wrap up and field trip

The field trip was hosted by SNV and Bright Nedzomba a youth farmer trained by SNV and also working with Matanuska a private company buying and selling fruits and vegetables in the province. A visit to the banana plantations in Honde valley was taken up by the team. Bright gave a brief background to the production process and harvesting up to the actual marketing which is done by Matanuska. Generally they harvest twice per year per plant. The Mupangwa community project members welcomed visitors and narrated their project from how it started to where it is at the moment. The project started in the early 70s using irrigation canals until 1993 when they got assistance from Danida in the form of pipes for drip irrigation and irrigation started in 1995 effectively with crops such as beans, maize and wheat under irrigation with little knowledge. In 1996 they worked with the extension workers to improve on knowledge on the crops they were growing and in 2007 the Union project assisted them for three years to grow maize. To boost incomes they had to look for optional crops and agreed on bananas as another paying crop. In 2009 they sat down with SNV to discuss issues on viable crops and they agreed on bananas and they worked on marketing partners. Bananas where intercropped with mangoes and Sunspan came and told them to uproot the mangoes but later failed to fund the project. Within a period of 3 months SNV came again with another partner Matanuska whom they are still working with and the first harvest was in 2010. SNV also assisted in providing a seasoned farmer (Victor Pedisen) with knowledge on banana production to nurture them. They also have a youth development wing as part of the project. The main challenges are water shortages which has since been addressed by FBC bank which gave them a loan $55,000 and every farmer contributes to the loan repayment with an installment of $2,500 per farmer. The poor road network affects deliveries; there is a bridge which is under repair. Benefits from the banana projects are durable houses, school fees (boarding schools), marriages/weddings, improved life standards. The group went round the banana plantations and the houses of project members to witness the success stories shared. Youths are encouraged to use their hands and earn decent living

Dialogue Round up: William Dialogue is used as an international tool for development and problem solving We have had contacts with various institutions that can help the youth and it’s now up to us to follow them

up after this process There is need to look for practical ways in other districts where people can implement projects in a similar

manner to the banana example but not necessarily bananas any other income generating projects with a defined market linkage

Mentorship should be taken seriously by the youths and they should choose the right people to mentor them

Youths should be consulted in policy formulation especially those that affect them and also considering that they are the future generation and not the current policy makers and they are more affected than the policy makers themselves

Youth can do more with little resources they have at hand and they should make plans that will also benefit future generations

IDBZ loans can also be accessed by those without the English dialect since proposals in local languages are also accepted.


9.0 Appendix A: Attendance Record NAME ORGANISATION

1. Nqobile Moyo VIVA

2. Sylvia Khumalo Independent Consultant

3. Pamela Charidza VIVA

4. Angela Arnott UNESCO/ADEA

5. Tichaona Kaseke IDBZ

6. Senzeni Gumbo Min of Public Service Labour &

Social Welfare

7. Nephas Munyeche SNV

8. Misheck Gondo NAYO

9. Adonis Ntuli Min of Economic Planning

10. Laura Mautsa World Vision

11. Paul Zakariya Zimbabwe Farmers Union

12. Ephraim Tadzingwa Min of Higher & Tertiary Education

13. Chemwi Mutiwanyuka UNESCO/ADEA

14. Dr. Maxwell Mutema Technoserve Zimbabwe

15. Patience Thalizeni ZYWWP

16. Nyasha Zvomuya ZYWNP

17. Nozipho Ndlovu UNICEF

18. Clara Kadzviti YETT

19. Rumbidzai Mashavave TESNE

20. T G Mashonganyika Min of Youth

21. William Tshuma UNDP

22. Definite Mudzingwa ZWB

23. N Nkomo AFSC

24. Tineyi Mukakiwa MDC

25. MC Ngwenya ECLF

26. CC Sybille MYN

27. Pardon Njerere Min of Agriculture

28. Dennis Shure Min of SMEs

29. Dr Gibson Chigumira ZEPARU

30. John Mushayi ZANU PF

31. Charles M Mujajati Min of Economic Planning

32. Bright BK Nezomba Host farmer

33. Richard Chiwandire MATANUSKA

34. G Nkomo MATANUSKA

35. Luxon Zembe Management Solutions

36. Levin T Mayoyo Min of Local Govt

37. GT Makosa President’s Office

38. Kuda Munengiwa JOMIC

39. Munopa Jera TETRAD

40. James Wakiaga UNDP

41. Tabani Shoko Min MSEs

42. Happymore Chidziva MDC-T

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT · 2015. 5. 15. · YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT: RE-VISITING PROSPECTS IN THE INFORMAL...

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