A youth-led organisation working to uplift marginalised young people in Nkulumane is facing an unexpected hurdle, or at best indifference, from the very community it seeks to serve. SwiZim Trust, a Bulawayo-based organisation focused on empowering young people through skills development, health support and sustainable livelihoods, says lack of buy-in from older community members is undermining its efforts to mobilise youth and expand its reach. The challenge was raised by Project Assistant Savvanna Smith during a recent media tour of the organisation’s offices, organised by the National AIDS Council (NAC).
Smith said while young people are showing interest in the organisation’s programmes, the absence of support from parents and guardians is slowing down progress. “We have exhibition fairs where participants showcase skills like welding, carpentry, baking, catering, make-up and hairdressing,” she said. “What makes our model unique is that no one is boxed into a single skill from the beginning.
Everyone participates across projects then only at the end do they discover where they excel and what they want to pursue.” However, Smith noted that these exhibitions, meant to demonstrate the impact of the programmes and attract more participants, often suffer from poor attendance by community members. “The challenge we face is community sensitisation. At the end of each cycle, we host exhibitions where beneficiaries display their projects and share their experiences, but we don’t get a strong response from the community,” Smith said.
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She stressed that meaningful youth participation often begins at home, making parental involvement critical. “I believe influence starts within the home. When elderly community members don’t attend meetings or exhibitions, it becomes difficult for us to mobilise young people.
But when a parent says, ‘I heard about this youth centre,’ it encourages young people to come through. That’s how we revive these centres.” Smith added that despite repeated invitations to community stakeholders, including local leadership, turnout remains inconsistent. “It might be a challenge calling out for unity as youth organisations in the community, but we are not getting the response we would want from the elderly,” she said.
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