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If young people are successfully brought into the mainstream economy of Zimbabwe, the national drive to achieve middle-income economy status by 2030 is achievable, according to youth empowerment expert Takunda Chiweza.
He is the founder and president of the Young Africa Network, which helps young Zimbabweans achieve their dreams of becoming professionals and entrepreneurs, and his work is driven by a strong belief that unleashing the potential of young people with ambition and vision yields major benefits for everyone.
Takunda is a marketing and media strategist whose focus on new places, new people, new projects, and new ideas keeps him alert and encouraged.
“I live to explore the opportunities and possibilities that life can provide,” he said.
The Young Africa Network supports the national drive to upgrade Zimbabwe to a whole new economic level by 2030 and also supports the effort to achieve relevant United Nations Sustainable Goals, all of which can be realised if there is increased and meaningful inclusion of young people in the economy.
Takunda said a highlight of 2020 was the network’s Young Money Workshop, which was characterised by a focus on the future led by some of Zimbabwe’s most inspiring ‘techpreneurs’ and an audience of eager and ambitious young Zimbabwean business people.
“Seeing young people take their place in developing the nation is what makes us tick and we hope more of them will join us on that journey,” he said.
Takunda draws huge inspiration from people with ideas, from whom lessons are learned and by whom experiences are shared.
“Each individual has a wealth of knowledge and experience and I believe that by tapping into these unique stories of people of worth we can more easily create solutions to help us lead better lives,” he said. He tells young people to “figure things out for themselves.”
“ In the end, each person makes a series of life decisions based on his or her perceptions, learning, and experiences. When I was much younger, I sometimes thought that advice and instruction I received from my parents was somewhat old-fashioned or somehow restrictive, and I fell into the trap of believing they just weren’t with the times. But what they offer is of great value and the key is to use that to the best advantage
“As we grow up we all get to experience things for ourselves and come up with our own action from our own reasoning, and this is the means of creating consistent personal growth. I advise adults to give their children a controlled but motivating environment in which they can discover themselves.”
Takunda comes from a family of four children and it’s a family with many highs and a few lows. He relishes his life as an uncle, a son, and a brother.
A keen fan, too, of television that adds value to life, he has been watching DStv since 2001.
“I am happy to be part of the DStv Shark tribe. My viewing patterns have changed over those 20 years, from watching cartoons as a child to my days in high school, when the History Channel and National Geographic channel helped form my thinking,” he said.
“Now watching news channels like CNN makes up a lot of my viewing, but in our household, we have an appreciation that extends to the popular African movie channels. It’s great to note that there is something for everyone in the family and we enjoy the luxury of having options to choose from by flicking through the many channels available to us.”
Takunda finds that the DStv Now app is a good platform to use to access DStv when he is out of town for work or for leisure.
“Sometimes I just have to catch the rugby before I see the news about it on social media,” he joked.
Far from being a divider of families, he finds TV offers opportunities for families to get together to watch a favoured programme or a sports match. “When used correctly TV can really open your eyes to knowledge, different culture and a range of experiences that can ultimately be useful as you take a perspective on life. It provides exposure,” he said.