OLD Mutual on Friday presented three fishing rigs and equipment worth $50 000 to two youth co-operatives in a ceremony held in Binga.
NDUDUZO TSHUMA STAFF REPORTER
The beneficiaries, Bacikula Kapenta Fishing Co-operative and Tatumbale Kapenta Fishing Co-operative have 17 and 14 members respectively.
In addition to the rigs, the youths got chicken mesh wire, fishing trays, gumboots, work suits, diesel, light bulbs and river bed stands, among other equipment.
In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy Mathias Tongofa, Youth Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment minister Francis Nhema said today’s world required one to think outside the box and utilise resources at their disposal.
“The days of trekking to cities in search of employment are now over as we can engage in gainful economic activities within the communities in which we operate,” Nhema said.
He said the event was testimony of the fruits of indigenisation and economic empowerment where government and the corporate sector had forged a smart partnership to benefit communities.
“With the young women contributing over 60% of Zimbabwe’s population, we as leaders, have a mandate to initiate structures that ensure that they have all the assistance they need to participate meaningfully in the economic development of our country,” Nhema said.
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“My message to today’s beneficiaries is that they should do justice to this investment by adhering to sound business practices. This is an opportunity for you to inspire your peers through hard work and persistence.
“You should think beyond yourselves by focusing on creating opportunities for others. Treat this investment as seed capital that shall birth a vibrant fishing project that will benefit not only the Binga community, but the nation at large.”
Nhema said the Kurera-Ukondla Youth Fund, set up by Old Mutual in 2011, was a revolving facility whose success was dependant on the beneficiaries’ ability to pay back.
“If you squander the money invested in you, you will be doing a disservice to your peers and will live with that for the rest of your lives. The government and Old Mutual have gone a step further by setting aside a significant amount towards capacity building, so there is no need for failure,” Nhema added.
“We need to graduate from a dependency and entitlement mentality into genuinely pursuing opportunities for wealth creation for our country. Zimbabwe is endowed with a wealth of natural and human resources that are second to none and it is time we put serious thought into exploiting the available opportunities.”
Old Mutual acting group chief executive officer Zom Chizura said his organisation would be rolling out a financial literacy programme for the youth across the country.
