Young women across Zimbabwe are set to be empowered with digital skills that will make them employable and create entrepreneurship opportunities through a project by Plan International Zimbabwe.
Plan International Zimbabwe launched the Digital Skills for Youth (DS4Y) project today, aimed at creating opportunities for young people to earn an income and strengthen their economic decision making. The organisation is implementing the program with Impact Hub with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
Plan International Zimbabwe is also collaborating with the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, the Ministry of ICTs, Postal and Courier Services, Catholic University of Zimbabwe and the City of Harare, among other public, private and developmental partners.
Sweden and Plan International Zimbabwe Empower Zimbabwean Youth With Digital Skills
Speaking at the launch of the Digital Skills for Youth (DS4Y) project in Hopely Harare today, Plan International Country Director, Peter van Dommelen, said:
“As Plan International, we firmly believe that by equipping the youth with essential digital skills, we are tackling the barriers that prevent them from fully participating in the global information and economic landscape. The Digital Skills for Youth Project will directly reach 1,680 young people between the age of 18 and 30 in Harare, Mutare, Bulawayo, Chiredzi and Tsholotsho. 60% of the participants will be young women.”
Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, H.E. Per Lingarde also spoke on the DS4Y project:
“Digital skills are essential to the future workforce in Africa and indeed also here in Zimbabwe, with basic skills most critical. The Embassy of Sweden is therefore very happy to be partnering with Plan International in implementing the Digital Skills for Youth project. The project focuses on implementing sustainable innovation hubs that will equip the youth with essential digital skills and MakerSpaces that will see the youth engaging in value addition projects.”
Sweden is pouring US$3.95 million into the project that will directly and indirectly benefit a total of 4, 689 young people, the majority being young women.
Mr Simon Jengwa from the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training lauded Plan International and the Swedish Embassy:
“The coming on board of such development partners like the Swedish Embassy and Plan International to [compliment] Government efforts as witnessed by this launch of the Digital Skills for Youth Project, is most welcome as we try to promote ICT literacy amongst our youth and meet the dictates of National Development Strategy (NDS) 1.”
Zimbabwe’s youth constitute 67.7% of the total population, according to the 2022 National Census.
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About The Digital Skills for Youth Project
The program started in August 2023 and ends in July 2026. Under DS4Y, young people will acquire digital skills that will make them qualify for jobs and thrive in emerging sectors while also improving their businesses. Skills to be acquired include Microsoft Word, Excel, graphic designing, digital marketing, artificial intelligence and UX design.
The project set up incubation hubs in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Chiredzi and Tsholotsho where young people will get digital skills training in three tiers namely basic, intermediate and advanced. The Catholic University of Zimbabwe developed the training curriculum and modules.
Value-Addition Centres In Rural Areas
Plan International Zimbabwe, Impact Hub and SIDA also established MakerSpaces which are small production units that will help to add value to the produce in rural communities.
At the Chiredzi MakerSpace, young people clean and extract oil from sesame seeds while in Tsholotsho, young people design shoes, belts and bags and feed the leather into the Leather Cluster in Bulawayo.
As part of the project, Impact Hub has also developed an e-commerce marketplace where digital skills graduates, freelancers and prospective employers can meet and engage. Youths at MakerSpace can also market their products on the marketplace.
