Story by Oleen Ndori
THE inaugural Youth Empowerment Symposium has begun in Harare, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa set to officially open the event this Wednesday.
The symposium is aimed at capacitating youths and enhancing their participation in national development.
Youths from across the country are converging in Harare for the symposium, with an exhibition marking the start of the indaba.
For Denzel Mutema, who works with Young Africa, he hopes his small invention of an automatic water pump will be recognised and supported on a larger scale.
“This is my project, which automatically detects soil moisture. If it is dry, it will release water into the ground, and once enough moisture is detected, it automatically shuts off. I am hoping that this symposium will link me with potential partners so I can get support to further develop it,” he said.
Other youths, like Denzel, are excited about the inaugural Youth Empowerment Symposium as it gives them a chance to showcase their products and exchange ideas.
“I am hoping to use this expo to exchange ideas with others here,” a youth said.
“As a junior parliamentarian, I am excited to be here and experience this symposium with others like me. It will help me learn how I can contribute to the development of the country,” another added.
“I want to urge others to keep taking part in symposiums such as these, as they help grow our businesses,” a youth noted.
The Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Honourable Kudakwashe Mupamhanga, said the government is committed to youth empowerment.
“As a ministry, our focus is on coordinating youth efforts across all sectors, agriculture, mining, tourism, finance, and others, to improve efficiency in youth programming. We aim to move beyond discussions and foster real collaboration, not just within government but also with development partners and the private sector.”
During the symposium, President Mnangagwa is expected to launch the National Youth Empowerment Strategy, which serves as a roadmap for structured youth development programming and coordination.
The strategy comes at a time when, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency’s 2024 survey, an estimated 2.3 million youths were not in full-time education, employment, or training, although numerous projects have been implemented nationally to empower the youth.
