By Byron Mutingwende
In pursuit of facilitating the empowerment and protection of all youths countrywide, the Youth Business League (YBL) is working to address the uneven business playfield among that demographic group.
“If economic activities in districts are reserved for resident youths, the idea of youth empowerment becomes practical. At YBL we do not believe in the exportation of opportunities from districts. We believe in the trapping of business opportunities within districts for the benefits of youths therein,” said McNorman Chitongo, the YBL Secretary-General at the launch of his organisation in Harare on 19 July 2017.
The youth leader said district-based youth empowerment could help curtail the influx of youths to bigger towns or neighbouring countries. The development and growth of Zimbabwe largely relies on the youths’ innovation and updated zeal and the embracement of government-driven programmes for the production of tangible results.
YBL seeks to provide Zimbabwean youths with training and technical skills to enable them to take up self-employment in agriculture, industry, services, mining and business activities. It also lobbies for the incorporation of youths in the business field in districts and aims to inculcate a sense of self-employment in the youths.
“We will operate this way. An identified youth business will be put through training either in a training institution or under a master craftsman. The duration of the training is flexible depending on the type of courses. Training is free and successful trainees are grouped into syndicates whereupon starting capital (equipment or funding) is sourced from partners, friends and other available apolitical sources,” Chitongo said.
In the case of an existing business opportunity, YBL will assist (through the government) in the placement of the youth groups or entities on the benefiting angle. YBL believes youths have the capacity to satisfy any type of tenders in government, local authorities and corporates.