BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
FRANCE-BASED Zimbabwean writer and social justice activist, Abel Mavura has embarked on a project to build a youth hub to benefit youths in rural Mutoko.
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style yesterday, Mavura, who is the founder and director of Marvel Acts Youth Organisation Trust (Mayo), said he sought to promote research skills and inculcate a culture of reading in areas where most young people do not have access to information and other services.
“The youth hub, which is almost at completion level, will work as a youth information centre, where innovation and research are the core pillars of its existence. It seeks to serve youths in rural Mutoko and surrounding areas as a one-stop centre for study and research,” he said.
“We have sourced a few computers from a non-governmental organisation based in France which we believe will go a long way in ensuring easy access to internet services for young people in Mutoko who are passionate about development and innovation. After all, they want to champion their issues by taking a leading role.”
Mavura believes the youth hub and the book club programme will help young people develop various skills.
“Our organisation’s mission is to mitigate the spread of conflicts, violence against women, children and youths, unemployment, injustice and poverty in marginalised communities.
“Through capacitating them, they realise their full potential, it promotes behavioural change and advocates for their rights through various interventions,” he said.
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“The youths will also have easy access to services and referrals to which they may otherwise not have had access to, thereby creating opportunities for themselves in the 21st century where the internet and digital space is the new normal.”
Mavura said Mayo, an organisation which seeks to contribute to the development and empowerment of young people in marginalised communities, will ensure that the youth hub and book club programme will help youths to fight drug abuse.
“There is a serious growing concern around drug abuse among youths in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“I believe this increased drug abuse by the youths has been a result of the fact that most young people don’t have something that occupies them. Moreso, there are no proper rehabilitation centres and strategies to help young drug abusers in recovery and quitting.”
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