Youth invest championing participation of marginalised groups in local governance

Victor Sibanda

A Victoria Falls-based  youth group, Youth Invest has embarked on a massive drive for increased youth and women participation in  local governance within Hwange District communities.

As part of its campaign, the youth group held a sensitisation workshop for about 50 participants drawn from all the 11 wards of Victoria Falls city.

 Youth Invest  targets and galvanises youths aged between  18 and 35 and women between the ages of 36 and 50. 

Programmes Coordinator, Mgcini Moyo spelled out the theme of the project which is set to run up to the year 2025 as, “I Belong, I Participate : Enhancing Citizen Participation in Local Governance in Hwange District.” 

He said the youth project seeks to promote robust and vibrant participation of youth and women in local authority decision making structures and processes in the District.

“Through a series of highly participatory activities comprising of capacity building workshops, radio advocacy clubs, mainstream and social media advocacy, policy debates and dialogues, the project endeavors to tackle the low participation of marginalised youths and women in local authority decision making processes,” said Moyo.

According to the programs manager, the project leverages on existing community and traditional structures to foster positive masculinity and galvanize support for sustained youth-led and gender sensitive civic participation in communities.

“We are saying let the youths and women have a say in developmental programmes in both rural and urban governance. We are sensitising the establishment of ‘ I Participate Clubs’  and this year, each club shall constitute  30 members of 10 young men, 10 young women and 10  women. In 2024, enrolment shall double and in 2025 each club will have 90 members,” said Mr Moyo.

Youth Invest will be working with participants from Chinotimba and Mkosana in urban areas and rural wards such as Kachecheti, Ndlovu, Jambezi and  Matetsi. Moyo posited that it is imperative to have youths and women participating in local development so as to reduce citizen deprivation.

 “Look at the level of water shortage in Victoria Falls City. We are not  told why the situation  is like this. We need to establish the cause to water scarcity. Citizens need to know whether the water scarcity is a  technical or spiritual issue. Perhaps, the ancestors in charge of the Zambezi River are not amused by drawing water without proper traditional rites being done,” said Moyo. He added that youths should suggest policies they want through participation.

The Victoria Falls Residents Association Chairperson Kelvin Moyo was one of the invited guests at the training. He urged youths and women in Victoria Falls to embrace the great initiative by Youth Invest. 

“This is a noble cause, please embrace it. It is good for the progression of our city. We need to keep our city economically sound and viable. Let us all thrive to sustain our communities. You should all participate fully in rural and urban governance up to 2025 when we will do our evaluation of the Youth Invest project. ,”said Moyo urging the youths and women present to cascade their participation in the project to other stakeholders.

Youths in Zimbabwe are defined as persons between 15 and 35 years of age. This age range is stipulated in the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) and is also congruent with the continental definition of youth as defined in the African Youth Charter (15 to 35). 

The National Youth Policy seeks to empower the youth by creating an enabling environment and marshalling the resources necessary for undertaking programmes to fully develop youth’s mental, moral, social, economic, political, cultural, spiritual and physical potential in order to improve their quality of life.

Youths Invest was established in 2019 and its influence is on the ascendancy in the rural and urban areas where it is sensitising youths to participate in decision making  and policy formulation. The organisation in rural areas, traditional leaders have bought into the project thereby enabling the organisation to have a greater reach in the communities.