The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has injected US$5 million to help fight social, political and economic challenges faced by youths in Zimbabwe.
USAID, in partnership with Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT), Youth Advisory Board, and youth-led committees, are working to support young people build their skills and improving the business enabling environment.
Speaking to journalists Wednesday in Harare, the coordinator for USAID’s Local Works Zimbabwe Youth Program, Bigbouy Chikwavarara, said the program seeks to support youth entrepreneurship development. He told NewZimbabwe.com:
Through the Local Works Zimbabwe Program, USAID supports young entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses to generate jobs and incomes in both the formal and informal sectors of the Zimbabwean economy.
This is a US$5 million project which will seek to support youth so that they can start and grow their enterprises.
We really believe that this is necessary at this point in time and we know that USAID alone cannot do it , so we are believing that collaboration action is the way to go.
He added that lots of young people had brilliant ideas that can transform communities if they get the requisite support.
YETT director, Rosewita Katsande said they were keen on identifying locally, sustainable youth-led solutions that can then be implemented.
Reports have indicated that the country’s unemployment rate now stands above 85%.