SEVERAL top-class acts, among them Sandra Ndebele and Iyasa, have been lined up to provide entertainment at the Youth Power Group (YPG) awareness campaign on November 22 in Bulawayo.
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The group is a national Christian organisation with a mandate to work for the benefit of the young in society and will run the campaign under the theme Learn to Say No.
YPG Matabeleland co-ordinator Richard Mabvira said the objective of the programme was not to preach or lecture to people, but to advise young people about life in a free environment which would increase their attention, acceptance and reception levels Mabvira said Zimbabwean youths had lost direction
“There are too many school dropouts, failures, cases of drug abuse and a general lack of focus on the future,” he said.
“With the high rate of unemployment, the young society is clueless after school.”
Mabvira said most young people did not understand that they could resist these vices because society had entrenched them as lifestyles expected of young people.
“At this rate, our future is bleak as we won’t have any leaders in coming years if the youth do not find their footing and identity,” he added.
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The programme will be held at the Large City Hall car park from 10am where various corporate bodies and experts will give presentations to the public.
“We have invited such professionals like doctors to tell our children the effects of the things which are usually taken as the norm like excessive makeup, drinking and smoking,” Mabvira said.
At the same time, the police drug section will complement such advice with presentations on how grave some substances being used by youths are legally.”
Other presenters will come from bodies like the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe which is on a campaign to reduce cases of driving under the influence of alcohol.
“To put the issues under discussion into perspective, we have also included testimony sessions from affected people — some of whom are now patients at Ingutsheni — and we hope these can identify with our audience on the day to know that problems related to delinquent behaviour,” he added.
The campaign will be conducted as an interactive platform where the youths will also be allowed to ask questions and seek clarification on issues. Although the programme is an awareness campaign on serious issues, YPG has included free entertainment for the public.
“We implore all youths from churches, schools, homes and any facet of society to attend because there will be something for everyone to gain on the day,” Mabvira added.
