The year 2024 witnessed the return and official launch of the National Youth Service, now re-branded as the Youth Service in Zimbabwe. Our Correspondent, Ranson Madzamba(RM) managed to have an in-depth interview with the Youth Service in Zimbabwe Dadaya Training Centre Commandant, Mr Handisen Kadzuraimire(HK).
RM: Briefly tell us your history with the Youth Service in Zimbabwe?
HK: I am currently the Centre Head (Commandant) Youth Service in Zimbabwe Dadaya Training Centre. I was around at the infancy of the National Youth Service both as a student and a trainer.
Initially, there was immense castigation, demonisation and denigration of the youth service program by some people who did not understand its cruciality in the developmental discourse of our country.
Well, at some point, it took the whole Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth Development and Employment Creation to visit all the Youth Service Training Centres or Camps to establish on how the programme was like.
The team comprised of Zanu-PF and MDC legislators and the parliament was composed as such during that time. The legislators interviewed the students and instead got positive feedbacks about the programme. The students were very much happy and appreciated the programme.
It is now a fact that the majority of our youths, parents and guardians appreciate the essentiality of the youth service programme.
The program was and is still anchored on three main pillars namely: Patriotism, Discipline and Voluntarism. All the pillars are essential ingredients for youth empowerment and national development.
Dadaya Training Centre Commandant Mr Handisen Kadzuraimire
RM: Do we have any measurable outcomes of the initial Youth Service in Zimbabwe programme.
HK: Over eighty thousand (80 000) youths were trained from our centres. Well, I remember vividly in 2001, the greater number of the National Youth Service graduates joined social services departments and Government Ministries in particular. Quite a number of our graduates joined not only teaching and nursing but also police, army, to mention but a few. Evidence available from police in particular has it that the performance of the graduates was top-notch.
RM: Is the return of the re-branded Youth Service in Zimbabwe a noble idea?
HK: The return of the program is more than welcome. Consultations were made by the Parliament of Zimbabwe to ascertain if citizens really wanted the re-introduction of the program and the response was a resounding yes, leading to the re-opening of the re-branded Youth Service in Zimbabwe, in 2024.
The current crop of young people abuse drugs and substances like never been known before and the training is coming at the right time. We want our students to be more productive, for example, our visit to Namibia National Youth Service has shown us that they are very productive, while they produce maize at a larger scale, which value add to mealie-meal, they are also the largest producers of grapes in Namibia. We have currently lined up major projects at our centre for the purpose of self-sufficiency as well as to make a positive impact to the fiscus of our great country.
RM: How was your 2024 experience as you resumed the youth service training at Dadaya Centre.
HK: The majority of Zimbabweans welcomed the programme. We were overwhelmed as an institution. The training was unique as the greater number of our students were really young and between the ages of 18 and 22. This age is an experimental age, so it really requires a lot of professionalism and am glad our team managed well. Drug addicts were converted into better hard-working individuals.
RM: Are there any plans for the 2024 graduates or do we now have some who are making use of the skills imparted on them and doing well.
HK: The 2024 graduates are now back in their respective provinces where they await to be recruited in various government departments as directed by Cabinet. However, some have already been absorbed within the Healthy Ministry as trainee nurses, some have joined Zimbabwe National Army, Police and specifically Zvishavane Town Council employed some of our graduates. The Ministry of Public Service through their Department of Employment Services Promotion registered them all for purposes of their placement in various government departments and agencies.
It is important to note that the graduates should also meet the recruitment criterion of the departments that they intend to join. It is Government’s wish that the students from our centres get first preference in Government and I can confirm, they won’t disappoint since they are trained and groomed hard workers.
RM: How is the enrolment like for 2025.
HK: The response is overwhelming. We are always directing parents and guardians to get in touch with our Ministry district offices for enrolment.
RM: What are your targeted outcomes for 2025.
HK: Our target is to at least train and impart life skills training to 2 000 youths by the end of the year. Here I am only referring to Dadaya Youth Service in Zimbabwe Centre.
