Zimbabwe

SERVE have been working with Young Africa Zimbabwe (www.youngafrica.org)  since 2007.

The mission of Young Africa is the development of underprivileged young people (15-24) in a holistic way. This means that young people involved in Young Africa programmes receive practical skills training, education and life skills training. Young Africa operates on a Franchise Concept which allows local business people to use Young Africa facilities and equipment, whilst providing training to young people as part of their business.

A MESSAGE FROM YOUNG AFRICA (VIDEO CLIP)

Young Africa operates two Training Centres in Harare (Chitungwiza and Epworth) which provide holistic skills training to over 2,500 young people. In 2008, SERVE secured funding from Electric Aid to help support the connection of the Chitungwiza Skills Training Centre to the main industrial electricity supply line. This has greatly increased the operational capacity of this Centre which was under severe threat as a result of electricity shortages on the old supply line.

SERVE is committed to supporting both these Skills Training Centres as they develop in the future. With the support of Irish Aid, SERVE initiated a capacity development programme for young people in 2006.

Two Irish volunteers worked on this project for two years in Zimbabwe and to allow the work to continue on their return to Ireland, the Nhimbe Kubatana Trust was established. Nhimbe Kubatana is now run by Zimbabwean staff and volunteers and has the following objectives:
• To expand the levels of information and knowledge of STIs, HIV and AIDS among young people aged 15-25 years of age;
• To equip young people with leadership and life skills and nurture the talents they possess;
• To assist the target beneficiaries by establishing sports teams and music groups within their communities;
• To create employment for young people aged 15-25 through vocational and entrepreneurial training skills;
• To engage different organisations working with young people in HIV prevention activities.

Nhimbe Kubatana is a community based response to the problems faced by young people in and around Harare. It empowers young people to identify the problems they face and design appropriate responses. The Trust is engaged in the following activities – youth leadership training, youth HIV/AIDS prevention work, education & training of women, outreach to vulnerable young people, care of youth at risk, training of trainers to work in the youth sector, vocational skills training, emergency relief for the homeless, development education activities and the profiling of young people in poverty.

SERVE in partnership with Young Africa and Nhimbe Kubatana have specific targets for the following projects for the period 2009-2011