By Alfaritsy BULAWAYO Vendors and Traders Association and the local authority have joined forces to empower youth with technical skills to kick start self-help projects.
Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association executive director Michael Ndiweni said the initiative sought to take the youth away from the streets.
“We have engaged our local authority as we have a programme whereby the youths from the age of 18 to 24 years would be educated on solar installation and house wiring to provide them with necessary skills to better their employment chances,” he said.
Ndiweni said the local authority had availed vocational training centres for the initiative.
“We have about 150 youths up for taking the programme and the local authority has provided us with three vocational training centres which are in Mzilikazi, Makokoba and Pumula,” he said.
“Around next week, the students might start to learn so that they gain skills as we have already done orientation, which ended last week.”
Ndiweni stated that countless young people were trapped in poverty with no means of earning an income.
“We aim to continue working together with our local authority to implement projects that provide development within our city as before we once partnered them in the construction of Nkulumane marketplace, which would provide economic growth within the city,” he said.
Councillor Adrian Moyo from Ward 2 praised the program as an essential step to combat drug and substance abuse.
“The solar initiative program will enable our local government to undertake socially responsible projects for the community, thereby equipping young people with skills and engaging them constructively, thus steering them clear of drugs and substance misuse,” he stated.
Moyo stated that this initiative would equip young people with necessary skills and provide them with improved methods for earning an income, thus fostering development within the city.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
Syndigate.info
).