PROJECT ID NUMBER : ACT-0000000078
PROJECT TITLE : Community Youth in Action
LOCATION : Zvishavane, Zimbabwe
PERIOD : 1 AUG – 31 DECEMBER 2022
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Shekinah Glory Organisation is implementing various projects and activities which support young people and the Community Youth in Action Project is a platform which enables young people to network, share challenges and propose solutions for their challenges. The main objective of this project is to ensure that young people are not idle and can volunteer in various activities and projects being implemented by Shekinah Glory Organisation. The project also provides psychosocial support to identified troubled young people during participation.
With the lockdowns experienced due to the Covid 19 pandemic and the continued economic challenges being faced by the country, a lot of challenges are being experienced in the country including Zvishavane District. The lockdowns resulted in academic institutions being closed which left a lot of young people idle and exposed and experimenting with all sorts of things.
Examples of challenges that were realized
- There has been an increase in substance and drug abuse
- Prostitution by young girls has increased as Zvishavane is a mining town for gold panners
- Nonadherence of treatment by young people living with HIV
- Child marriages
- Increased School Drop Outs
Having realized the challenges being faced by young people, Shekinah Glory Organisation then decided to start a skills training program for young people aged between 15 – 24 years who had fallen out of school and could not continue with their formal education. Most of the young people identified were already volunteers.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION – SKILLS TRAINING
The idea of introducing Skills Training to the youth received a lot of interest from young people. The following courses were rolled out – sewing, carpentry and welding. A total of 92 Applications were received from various wards across the district of Zvishavane.
The selection process included submitting applications and then conducting interviews. Targeted young people included those from vulnerable backgrounds and had either failed to complete their secondary education or had dropped out due to financial constraints. We also prioritized young people supporting one of projects working with HIV Positive young people as volunteers. A total of 25 Trainees were selected for Skills Training and the duration of the training was 4 Months. The training commenced on 1 August 2022.
| COURSE | FEMALE | MALE | TOTAL TRAINEES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sewing | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Welding | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| Carpentry | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 25 |
A total of 24 Trainees completed their skills Trainings and one young lady who came to the training was pregnant and the pregnancy was in its last stages hence she was constantly ill and dropped out.
Since most of the identified Trainees were young people who dropped out of school, the training delivery methodology for the courses was mainly to learn from seeing an experienced mentor carrying out the same activity.
Activities:
- The sewing Trainees were taught to make aprons, a uniform design was identified and they had to sew their own uniforms. They were also taught to sew school uniforms – dress uniforms, shirts both short and long sleeves, shorts and trousers. They were taught to make small peg bags.
- The welding Trainees were taught to make iron cooking fire stands, window frames, window and door screens. They also made hoes and Braai Stands.
- The Carpentry Trainees made stool, coffee tables, bases for beds, kitchen trolley, kitchen cabinets, TV Stands and coffins.
- The program also included improving the social responsibility and sense of belonging of young people who participated in the skills training. Grooming and personal Hygiene was also incorporated as part of the training.
- A Graduation Ceremony was held on 2 December 2022 to celebrate the completion of courses by Trainees and the local leaders and Government Stakeholders were invited to witness the event. This was a huge milestone and we appreciate ACT Ubumbano for making it a success through their financial support.
