Story by Elroi Ngara
THE government has launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Writing Competition, meant to promote awareness of the United Nations’ 17 SDGs.
The competition, launched in Harare this Monday, seeks not only to raise awareness of the global goals but also to empower students to become active participants in shaping sustainable solutions to development challenges through innovation and research.
“I challenge every student team to marry technical feasibility with social relevance. Identify real-world problems, be it waste management in dense suburbs, water scarcity in fringe settlements, or digital illiteracy among out-of-school youth and propose solutions that can be piloted, evaluated and scaled,” the Deputy Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, Honourable Mercy Dinha said.
“The school SDGs Competition embody the very essence of 21st-century education. The synergy of academic rigour, creativity, collaboration and real-world relevance. I call upon every learner, teacher and community members here today to embrace this opportunity with zeal,” Chief Director for Human Resources in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Lameck Mudyiwa said.
The United Nations is supporting the government in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through policy development, capacity building, and partnerships.
“As the United Nations in Zimbabwe, we value young people. With over 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 and 24 globally, we recognise that young people are vital partners in achieving sustainable peace, development and justice, which are the key pillars of the United Nations. We remain committed to collaborating with the government in developing the nation,” a representative of the United Nations, Etona Akole said.
This effort supports Zimbabwe’s development agenda under the vision to attain an upper-middle-income society status by 2030.
