The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
SOME industrious youths in Victoria Falls town and nearby villages have started a chicken rearing project in an effort to create jobs and contribute to the economy.The youths said they realised that the industry in the resort town had no capacity to employ many of them and decided to start their own project, which they hope will create jobs in line with Zim Asset as well as reduce crime.
Sunday News visited the project in Monde area recently where the youths are rearing 400 broiler chickens which they hope to sell to hotels and supermarkets in the resort town.
Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Hear Them Out Youth Association (ZHTOYA) Mr Christopher Mufakwadzi Dube said their aim was to expand the chicken project into a self-sustaining business.
“We sat as youths and decided to form an association after realising that there are no jobs here in Victoria Falls. We also noticed that most goods here come from other towns which is why we want to supply shops, lodges, hotels and restaurants,” he said.
The association has about 70 members from Victoria Falls town, Ndlovu and Chisuma areas. Each member contributed $10 which they used to source chicks and chicken feed and the first batch of 200 chickens is now four weeks old.
Mr Dube said they had long-term plans to transform their project into a vocational college where youths could learn skills since there was no vocational training centre in the province.
President Mugabe in his speech at the 21st February Movement celebrations in the resort town, spoke about the need for the establishment of a vocational college in each district.
“We want to market our chickens to local businesses so that they support local producers.
We are worried that there is no training college in the province and we wish to facilitate opening of a vocational college where people would learn some skills” said Mr Dube.
