With the high rate of unemployment in the country, the future of youths is bleak. Due to circumstances beyond their control, youths have been placed in a corner where they are forced to use drugs and do other illicit activities.
BY KUDZAI MUCHENJEKWA
However, a Harare businessman Tichaona Musavengana has come up with an idea of keeping youths in Damofalls occupied. The businessman is encouraging youths to be innovative in their respective communities so that they generate income.
The Damofalls community got a major boost after Musavengana engaged youths to partake in income generating projects. A pharmacist by profession, Musavengana told The Standard Style that he got to where he is after some strangers helped him to find purpose in life.
“I never got support from anyone close to me, but strangers who encouraged me to work hard and to have a purpose in life,” he said.
“If it were not for those strangers, I would have ended up like the majority of youths who are engaging in activities that destroy their lives.”
Musavengana said he was moved by the numbers of unemployed youths which led him to come up with projects under the banner Musavengana Empowerment Project (MEP).
Under MEP, youths in Damofalls are engaging in a number of projects, and these include manufacturing of soap, detergents, baby oil, petroleum jelly and verpo rub, among others.
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Musavengana said bringing the manufacturing of such commodities to the communities was meant to dispel the notion that products like petroleum jelly were imports.
Last week the businessman convened a workshop which was attended by the Damofalls community at Ruvheneko Secondary school, where he encouraged youths and women to start income-generating projects which need small capital and are easy to do.
“The good part is that these projects can be done in the comfort of your home,” Musavengana said.
The primary goal of MEP is to empower communities, particularly women and youths, hence the initiative is getting the thumbs-up from the Damofalls community who have embraced the projects.
Among those that attended the workshop was a youth called Clement Moyo who appreciated what MEP is doing.
“I found this very inspiring, getting someone who encourages us the youth to do such projects is a great thing and I thank Mr Musavengana for what he has done for the Damofalls community,” Moyo said.
His sentiments were echoed by Dorothy Ndlovu who said MEP was doing very well to empower women.
“I appreciate what Mr Musavengana is doing and I hope that he takes this project countrywide so that women benefit,” she said.
Meanwhile, MEP has donated wheelchairs to people with disabilities. Tinashe Dehwe, a resident of Damofalls, who was involved in an accident last year, was among the people who benefited from MEP.
“I am taking this project across the country, so as to empower youths and women. Damofalls was a starting point,” Musavengana said.
