By Staff Reporter
Christian Youth Towards Vision 2030 (CYTV 2030) has trained 16 433 young people across the country in various vocational and entrepreneurial skills, with 791 graduates having gone on to establish their own businesses, as the faith-based organization intensifies efforts to contribute to Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 aspiration of attaining upper-middle-income economy status.
The training programme, which has been running since 2021, is increasingly translating into practical economic opportunities, with a further 461 young people having secured employment through the organization’s partnerships with businesses, churches and other stakeholders.
The developments highlight the growing role of community and faith-based initiatives in addressing youth unemployment by equipping young people with practical skills that enable them to create their own livelihoods rather than solely depend on formal employment.
CYTV 2030 Founding Director Chaplain Chirume said the organization’s focus was not merely on training young people but ensuring that the skills acquired translate into sustainable economic activities.
“Our vision has always been to produce young people who are productive, self-reliant and able to contribute meaningfully to national development. We do not want to create a generation that only looks for employment; we want to develop job creators, innovators and entrepreneurs who can use their skills to transform their communities,” said Chaplain Chirume.
Among the enterprises established by beneficiaries are welding, dressmaking, sewing and cake-making businesses, reflecting the organization’s emphasis on practical and income-generating skills.
Beyond entrepreneurship, CYTV 2030 has also facilitated employment opportunities for 461 trained youths through its network of partners, including churches and businesses.
The programme has made significant inroads into both rural and urban communities, with the organization reporting coverage of almost 65 percent of youths in targeted rural areas and 80 percent of young people from different churches in the urban areas it has reached.
Chirume said the initiative was deliberately designed to reach young people across different church denominations, ensuring that opportunities for skills development and economic empowerment were not confined to particular religious backgrounds or geographical locations.
Since its establishment, CYTV 2030 has sought to align Christian youths with national development priorities, drawing inspiration from Nehemiah 4:6, which states that “the wall was built because people had a mind to work”.
The organization’s work resonates with the Government’s Vision 2030 agenda, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy through increased productivity, innovation, industrialization and inclusive economic participation.
Its emphasis on reaching young people in rural and urban communities also complements the Government’s mantra of “leaving no one and no place behind”, by extending skills development and economic empowerment opportunities to communities that might otherwise struggle to access such programmes.
Chirume said empowering young people with practical skills was essential to ensuring that they became active participants in the country’s economic transformation rather than spectators.
The organization promotes Education 5.0, encouraging young people to embrace innovation, industrialization and entrepreneurship by applying acquired knowledge and skills to solve practical challenges within their communities.
Its interventions also extend beyond economic empowerment to addressing social challenges, particularly drug and substance abuse and early child marriages, while promoting discipline, education and responsible citizenship among young people.
The organization has received support from various stakeholders, among them Honourable Mkwembi, Honourable Hungwe and Honourable T. Makumbe, whose contributions have played a role in advancing its youth empowerment programmes.
However, Chirume said limited resources remained a major obstacle to expanding the programme and ensuring that more trained youths could translate their skills into viable economic activities.
He appealed to the church, business community, development partners and well-wishers to support the initiative through equipment, materials and financial contributions.
“We are calling upon the church, the business community and other development partners to come on board and help us empower these young people. Training them is an important first step, but we also need to provide the necessary tools and resources that enable them to put their skills into practice,” he said.
Potential contributions include welding machines, sewing machines, baking ingredients, building materials and make-up kits, as well as financial assistance to support beneficiaries in establishing income-generating projects.
Chirume said such support would help bridge the gap between skills training and economic independence, ensuring that young people do not remain with certificates and technical knowledge but have tangible opportunities to earn a living.
As Zimbabwe advances towards Vision 2030, initiatives such as CYTV 2030 demonstrate how skills development, entrepreneurship and community partnerships can contribute to inclusive economic growth.
With 16 433 youths already trained and hundreds progressing into self-employment and formal employment, the organisation is seeking to consolidate its achievements through stronger partnerships and increased investment in youth-led enterprises, in keeping with the national aspiration of leaving no one and no place behind.
New Ziana
