YALI
INSIGHT
Foreword Dear Stakeholder It is a privilege to present this first publication of YALI (RLC) Zimbabwe Chapter Impact Stories. I am glad to be serving this generation of doers. Zimbabwean young people in particular are the most resilient people I have come across and I must say we are lucky to live in this time. Allow me to congratulate the current committee for pioneering this publication. It takes great faith to make such a leap. To Gladman Chikwari, thank you so much for volunteering to do the design of this compilation of stories. Our vision for this publication is to make the work of fellow alumni visible, to launch them into another realm which will enhance their work and also cultivate relationships amongst them. I will try to summarise a bit about The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) for the purpose of those who may not be aware of what it is. YALI is a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. Nearly 1 in 3 Africans are between the ages of 10 and 24, and approximately 60 percent of Africa's total population is below the age of 35. Former President of the United States launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.
Zimbabwe alumni go through training in the Civic Leadership and Business Track, the centre responsible for training us is based in Pretoria, South Africa, together with 12 other countries. You can see more here https://yalisouthernafrica.melimu.com/ Alumni of the Zimbabwe Chapter are spread across the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe and abroad. We are passionate about making a difference in our communities targeting young people. The areas in our current Action Plan include career guidance, humanitarian work, workshops and community outreaches. You are welcome to follow us on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/yalirlcsazim.co.z w/. We are open to partnership in various areas our alumni are focusing on from Education, Reasearch, Human Resources, Business etc. Please contact us and we will definitely refer you to people you can work with. It is my hope that you will find the stories here interesting. Samantha Sibanda (Chapter Coordinator) Contact: (+1) 202 – 864 - 9777
2
Chapter 2019 Committee Samantha Sibanda Chapter Coordinator Samantha Emberton Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator
Philani Lunga Recruitment & Selection Coordinator
Odilo Linzi Advocacy and Marketing Coordinator
Mhleliziso Ncube Events & Networking Coordinator
3
AREA CORDINATORS
Project name: BEE the inspiration Location: Project Manager: Partners:
Bazha Secondary School, Matopo, Zimbabwe. Mthokozisi M. Moyo (YALI Online Cohort 4). Rotaract Club of Matopos, Rotaract Club of Belmont & Standish Moyo (Bee keeper).
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
1. Introduction Bazha Secondary school is located deep in the mountains of Matopo in a rural setup without access to the electricity from the grid or tap water. The area is characterised by huge mountains and large spaces of untamed wilderness. Like any other rural school in Zimbabwe, lack of resources plagues the school. The YALI training opened my eyes to helping the school leverage on the environment for their benefit through self-sustaining projects hence the Bee keeping project "BEE the inspiration". By keeping could promote women empowerment by allowing them to generate income from home. Mr S.Moyo explaining what a Kenyan Top Bar Hive is.
One of the two bee hives was colonised on the 9th of April. This development sparked excitement from the kids and parents who are keen to provide the labour to expand the school project. Next phase involves expanding the Bee-hives from 2 to 30, introducing fish farming and teaching the school children how to make Kenyan top-bar bee hives and generate income from selling honey, we hope to inspire them to look beyond coming from a rural setup as a disadvantage but take it as an opportunity to be at the forefront of smart agriculture. 2. Training The facilitator Mr Standish Moyo, a veteran bee keeper with over 5 years' experience, volunteered his time to educate the kids on bee keeping and the benefits of bees to the environment. He then proceeded to demonstrate how to make a bee hive and smear pheromones to attract the bees. Emphasis was made to the girls on how bee
4
starting an indigenous tree nursery at the school by the end of 2019. The proceeds generated from these projects are to be channelled towards the science and computer labs. Key resources: Planks, nails, tape measure, hammers, pheromones, safety gear, Total Cost of project (Material + fuel) = USD $45 Expected Returns when both hives are colonised = (40 litres of honey every 4 months at USD 3/ litres) =USD $360 Conclusion Sustainable projects are very much viable in rural schools; all that is needed is the mind-set shift from dishing handouts to equipping the children with the necessary skills to work themselves out of poverty.
5
What I am doing on the health of the ordinary Zimbabwean Rangarirai's Impact Story We lost the ordinary Zimbabwean. The Zimbabwean independence is 39 years old this year. During the colonial era, public services like health, education excetra, where disproportionately distributed along lines of race, economic status and so on. Famine, poverty and disease epidemics ravaged the common black men with no man's attention. In 1980, independence came upon the shoulders of our kindred, everyone felt a sense of health liberation and enthusiasm. It was a time of hope, believed by everyone to replenish, rekindle the lost dreams, rebuild the broken social contract, and reshoot the remaining stumps of ambitions burnt by conoliasm and oppression. Rangarirai Makuku is a medical student (Doctor of Medicine,MD) at the toppest and first Iranian medical university; Tehran university of Medical Sciences(TUMS). The youngman is also a qualified Dental Therapist from the School of Dental Therapy and Technology, ZW. I worked as a Dental Therapist at various centres in Zimbabwe including Mutare, Mbire, Harare and Norton. I am Zimbabwe's former ambassador to African Youth Organisation. I am also a proud alumni of YALI RSA, Feb 2016 Cohort (Public Management and Governance). Currently I am the Zimbabwean ambassador to TUMS and Junior Ambassador to USERN (Universal Scientific Education Research and Network) https://usern.tums.ac.ir/Info/Executives. Most importantly, I am a Co-founder and Executive Chairman of A f r i c a n C o m m u n i t y H e a l t h Tr u s t ( A C H T ) , https://fb.me/ACHTZIM. Moreover, as a newly appointed junior ambassador of USERN for my country, my role is to recruit my fellow countrymen into health related scientific research via USERN network. Four Zimbabweans are in now. I am looking forward to utilise this opportunity to network with various institutions of research in Zimbabwe (esp universities). Science and innovation remains the only bridge to new products and services in any industry, hence a need to involve and capacitate more young people in active research. I also stand with the girl child inclusion in all sectors of development.
60 volunteer practitioners from various fields, spanning from dentistry, nurses, medical doctors, dentists, dental therapists, lawyers, pastors, social workers, marketing and so on. Our main focus is improving primary health system of Africa starting from Zimbabwe. Currently we have done, many outreach programs. We do not do less than 10 medical and dental outreaches per year. Our focus areas are marginalised rural communities, rural schools, religious gathering, orphanage centres, and other collaborative events like Kites for Peace Zimbabwe https://www.facebook.com/kitesforpeacezim/, WHO health commemorating days like Oral Health Day, World Diabetes Day and so on. The average attendance at our outreaches is around 200 people. Over the past 4 years we have reached out to around 10 000 patients in rural places like Chivhu, Bindura, Zvimba, Chiredzi, Chihota not mentioning churches and orphanage centres. Our medical and dental outreaches are equipped with dental treatments{ dental extractions, temporary fillings, manual scaling and polishing, and Oral Health Education}, medically we are doing health education, sensitization on prevalent edemics, and consultations. This coming Saturday we have an outreach of similar sort in rural Mubaira, in Mhondoro-Ngezi area. Moreover, In recognition of our work,in 2017 I was nominated as one of the greatest 100 Zimbabweans by Alpha Media Holdings's Newsday newspaper. https://www.newsday.co.zw/wpcontent/uploads/2017/06/hundredgreatzims.pdf “under health catergory�. This year we are also nominated for an award by Force4Good Awards to be held at Meikles Hotel o n t h e 2 9 t h o f M a r c h 2 0 1 9 . https://www.hypeupzimbabwe.com/stec_event/ceoeatout-force4good-awards/ Eaglesvale High School has also honored us on their Heroes Celebration day. On top of this, I am also invited in my capacity as the Co-founder and Executive Chairman of African Community Health Trust in Kish Island, Iran at the Regional World Health Summit 2019 on 28 April 2019 h t t p s : / / w w w. w o r l d h e a l t h s u m m i t . o r g / r e g i o n a l meeting.html. Finally, we have also launched campaign to raise 40 000 dentifrice packs to donate to the victims of Cyclone Idai in Manicaland Zimbabwe https://www.facebook.com/events/2527491930598917/ .
I co-founded ACHT in 2015, currently the organisation has
6
Sharon Nyauta Cohort 13: Business and Entrepreneurship
A
s an aspiring multinational businesswoman I was passionate to discover how my product base could not only expand and go global but also how my services could be a solution to the various challenges my community faces. The answer to this question came in the form of the realization that most businesses lacked the fundamental understanding of the concept of 'image', this was not only a problem faced by small start-up companies but also by big national institutions. The problematic nature of failing to grasp the concept of image is that it presents unintended messages to the various stakeholders of the business such as clients and investors. Therefore after realizing that this was an opportunity for my consultancy company Classic Taste I took focus on the niche market of 'self-image' consultancy which I believe is critical to organisational success since the organisational personnel are the front line that presents the image of organisation. On the 16th of March Classic Taste held a business seminar termed 'the psychology of colour' at the Cillas Conference Centre in Bulawayo which attracted over 35 delegates from different professional sectors that include religion, politics and the corporate world. The aim of this seminar was to offer a new and creative dimension of self-image training in which emphasis was placed on how particular dress colour combinations create various effects that in turn relay messages to the various audiences we interact with in our professional circles. On a broader note this seminar focused on how professionals can elevate themselves and posse confidence and the skills needed to handle any challenging prospects they encounter, the psychology of colour seminar was a platform to let professionals and corporates know that “image is the way they perceive themselves� and that it was pivotal to invest in the building the most desirable image. Resultantly the psychology of colour seminar generated a significant amount of interest as it earned me a spot as one of the panellists on the
Fearless women in business talk show where I shared the stage with prolific and renowned women in various businesses to express the importance of image. Finally this historic seminar also earned me an exhibition stand at the recently ended ZITF where I was fortunate enough to get a media showcase on DJ Moxie's social media page as well as lucrative prospects that include LSU amongst many other that were inspired by the kind of image consultancy products my company offers. True success comes through cultivation and timeless investment in one`s image which is why my company Classic Taste is committed to providing every start-up with an opportunity to amplify their image. This is what we believe in.
7
PROMOTING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR RURAL TEACHERS Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. Kofi Annan
school faces budget deficits due to its rurality and
Siwazi Primary school is located in the southern parts of Insiza South District of Matabeleland South in Zimbabwe where I got my primary education between 1994 and 2000. The school has 385 learners and 12 teachers, thus an average of one teacher to 33 pupils. Teachers have been using class storerooms as offices for decades. This has not been a conducive office environment especially for the school head and senior teachers.
From 2013,various efforts have been put in place to improve school's infrastructure through former students collaborating with the local leadership and community to mobilise resources and build an Admin Block for teachers. Between 2016 and 2019 former students contributed various resources amounting to aUS$7000 towards the construction of the staff Admin Block. However, due to economic challenges facing the country, the completion of the structure has been at stand still. The
unreliable flow of school levies from disadvantaged subsistence parents and guardians. Completion of the admin block will improve the working condition and environment for teachers and possible improve the pass rate. A study conducted in Bangladesh, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Peru, and Uganda indicated that "teachers in schools with good infrastructure have, on average, 10% less absenteeism than teachers in schools with deficient infrastructure. The study further discovered that infrastructure had a greater effect in reducing absenteeism than teacher salaries or the effect of the administrative tolerance for absences." As former students, we believe in ploughing back and mobilising resources to improve the conditions of our roots. Hence our goal in improving education is to create the possibilities for a child and create future thought entrepreneurs. This could only be necessitated by a motivated teacher working on a decent office environment. The Admin block under construction is now short of the following: 1) 40 bags of cement for plastering and floors. 2) 80 standard window panes 3) 30kgs putty 4) 6Ă—20litres interior/exterior paint 5) 4Ă—5litres gloss white. 6) Office furniture Any form of assistance towards the completion of this project will be highly appreciated. Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. Kofi Annan Pictures of the Admin Bock at Siwazi Primary Crespen Ndlovu +263772233822 ncrespen@gmail.com YALI Alumni- Entrepreneurship Master in Rural Development
8
Mutoko Green Project Network Location : Mash East Existence : July 2017- Present Sector : Agriculture Founder : Solomon Mutasa Cohort : Online Cohort 1 Mutoko Green Project Network was formed in July 2017 by YALI RSA Online Cohort 1 graduate Solomon Mutasa. He came up with the idea soon a f t e r c o m p l e t i n g h i s YA L I Entrepreneurship programme. Inspired by the contents of the study, he embarked on a journey to his rural home Mutoko to commence the project. The idea acquired its Certificate of Incorporation the same year with an objective to empower rural communities especially women and youths by practicing organic gardening. The social enterprise set off with only 20 women and youths and has gone to develop into a sustainable community-based green innovation. Mutoko Green Project's vision is to eradicate poverty through a healthy food security in line with Sustainable Developmental Goals with a long term goal of value addition exportation. In its second year in existence, the green movement has impacted the local community in practical farming clinics, employment opportunities and food security in rural households. An integrated system of organic gardening and organic aquaculture was also developed this in advancing environment friendly innovations based on agripreneurship. Firmly targeting the Sustainable Developmental Goals Vision 2030 and African Union Agenda 2063,
Mutoko Green Project has been recognized to be part of the first ever UNLEASH Innovation Lab held in Denmark 2017.
horticulcuture and organic aquaculture. The main target is to inspire rural communities towards a vision to perform value addition
Food security, value addition, climate change and empowerment are the major Sustainable Developmental Goals that aligns Mutoko Green Project with regional and global issues. “We are now in the scaling up phase that has established an Integrated Organic System that incorporates organic
and create agri tourism villages,� said Founder Solomon Mutasa. We are introducing a system of not throwing garden or fish pond residues away but re use them in re feeding the eco system. The founder Solomon Mutasa is a YALI RCSA Area Co-ordinator and was also selected to be part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship
9
Career Guidance Feedback By Andile Sayi U6 Sizane High School
10
Sowing Disc
11
Ian Nyasha Mutamiri Civic Leadership 2019 Online Cohort
I am the co-founder of the Purple Future Trust (http://purpletrust.org), and I am an Engineer. I am happy to be applying the concepts I learnt during the YALI Civic Leadership training in our non-profit. The Purple Future Trust works towards the empowerment of women and children through technology and STEM education. Over the past few years, we have noted how Electrical Engineering students at the University of Zimbabwe (and other Universities) have struggled to acquire electronics components for their third or fourth (final) year projects due to various reasons. This year we launched a programme to assist students with electronic components/equipment. We are also connecting them to industry experts and tutors through in-person workshops and online tutorials that focus on the agile methodology and design thinking concepts. We hope that this will help them quickly acquire the practical skills they need to iterate towards amazing products. Thanks to the Next Einstein Forum (NEF)'s support, we've started with 7 students. Our aim is to raise enough funds to meet our 2019 target of 50 students. I am happy that through the
YALI Civic Leadership training, as a trust we have been empowered with the tools to create an effective monitoring and evaluation plan for this and other projects we are working on. Our goal is to produce positive measurable impact and see more students sailing through their final year projects and coming out with flying colours.
12
Nomqhele Samantha Siziba; Online Cohort 1, Civic Leadership track
and holding community information sharing workshops. So far; Youth Invest has conducted financial inclusion workshops in 14 areas in Bulawayo's high density suburbs. The workshops
Nomqhele holds a BSc in Social Science from Monash University in South Africa and a BA (Hons) in Applied Psychology from UNISA. In 2016, she led a United Nations Democracy Fund project whose aim was to enhance youth participation in civic engagement in Bulawayo. Her involvement in the UN project made her identify delivery gaps that needed redress. For example; she noticed that youth were in need of holistic development programs that focused on both civic
have been extremely successful, with Youth Invest receiving over 400 inquiries from youth within and around Bulawayo interested in knowing more about processes involved in applying for funding through EmpowerBank. Among the inquirers are a sizable number of youth with disability. Youth Invest's workshops also assist youth to understand the importance of transactional accounts; information on interest and the risks associated with defaulting on
engagement and economic empowerment. By the time
payment. Youth Invest also trains its stakeholders to
the project was nearing an end; Nomqhele already had
develop and write successful business plans as a
ideas on how to intervene to bridge the gaps. In 2018;
strategic business tool.
she set up Youth Invest a not-for-profit organization in Bulawayo. Youth Invest works in the area of youth empowerment and seeks to ignite social change and
'the interactive discussion on the online portal were an encouragement and validation that I can work on
unlock the potential of youth to contribute to
my ideas and develop them into something
sustainable development through transforming novel
impactful'.
ideas into t a n g i b l e
She is particularly grateful for the
entrepreneuria
training she received on project proposal
l projects with
development which spurred her to
a social impact.
develop her proposal writing and
Nomqhele's
pitching skills which she has
intervention is
continuously shared with people
unique in the
attending her organization's workshops.
sense that it
Nomqhele says Youth Invest was born
promotes the
out of a project she submitted as part of
y o u t h ' s
YALI course component in 2016.
contribution to
As part of its broader civic engagement
sustainable
programming; Youth Invest in
s o c i o economic development through combining civic engagement with entrepreneurship. Since inception; Youth Invest has championed the active economic participation of
partnership with Zion City Foundation, a not-for-profit organization in Victoria Falls; held a Pageant on June 15 2019 in Victoria Falls; Zimbabwe. The aim of the pageant was to conscientize young people in Victoria Falls and surrounding areas about
youth in Zimbabwe. It has also led efforts to help
the African Identity and the significance of the Day of the
overcome financial exclusion; especially young
African Child which is celebrated annually on the 16th of
women and youth with disabilities.
June. You can read more about the pageant by clicking
Youth Invest has achieved this through partnering EmpowerBank (a youth bank facility in Zimbabwe)
here
13
14
