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By Elvis Dumba
Mutorashanga – The drug abuse menace amongst young people in Zvimba North Constituency mining areas is slowly disappearing as the youths focus energy on various empowerment projects set up by the Constituency Member of the House of Assembly, Marian Chombo.
Some of the female youths were traveling to areas such as Mapinga and Banket for commercial sex work before the projects and now spend more time managing the empowerment projects.
Chombo has financed the setting up of youth poultry and piggery projects for various youth groups.
Clemence Daniko of Caesar Mine near Mutorashanga said they were being left behind in many economic activities as they didn’t have the financial capital to start any business resulting in many young people turning to drug abuse and prostitution.
“Many young people were turning to drug abuse to escape financial stress issues with girls turning to prostitution as they didn’t have anything to do. With these empowerment projects in our areas, those problems are now few as the youths spend most of their time on their projects. For example, on this farm, we have three groups of eight young people with two groups doing poultry and another carrying out a piggery project,” he said.
Using her own funds, Chombo is bankrolling various empowerment projects for both women and youths in the constituency with some young people getting interest-free loans of US$600 payable after six months for small projects of their choice.
Sarudzai Chizivano, who is leading a group of eight young females in managing a piggery project, said they are looking forward to making out a living from the piggery proceeds.
“Our lives have been transformed by the piggery project as we now spend more time working on our project which has taken away time we used to waste in selling our bodies. We are very appreciative of the efforts being carried by our MP in trying to empower young people and we are testimony to that,” she said.
Chombo who usually takes time to visit and monitor the projects around the constituency said her vision is to have economically empowered communities as being called for by President Emerson Mnangagwa.
“The projects for the youths are meant to empower them so that they take responsibility for developing economical communities. As President Emerson Mnangagwa always says, a country is built by its own citizens. By engaging these young people in economic activities, they will contribute towards the growth of gross domestic product outputs and they themselves move to the middle-income bracket,” she said.
Chief Katizagombo said the people of Zvimba North Constituency should embrace the economic empowerment projects being availed for them.
He applauded the MP for being always there for the needs of her constituency. He encouraged stakeholders to work together to ensure that the projects go on to a point where those involved in piggery establish related industries.
“We are hearing other people complaining over their MPs who have become missing persons in their constituencies but for these young people in Zvimba North, they are very blessed to have such an MP who is walking the talk of empowering communities. These projects are helping restore our good cultures in our communities,” he said.