By Dennis Ndlovu
MATOBO youth from ward 8 have demonstrated the power of working together to address challenges they face in their communities.
Inspired by their experiences at the Matobo Youth Development Initiative (MYDI) Youth Incubation Center and on different discussions on #Youth4Integrity platforms, the young people from Bidi village saw the need to fix a damaged bridge.
Following an assessment on issues affecting their community, they realized that vehicles were avoiding using the bridge as it was damaged, some were even avoiding using the stretch of road altogether, which was
cutting off the business center.
Speaking to this publication, Sakhile Ndebele, a young lady from Bidi village, highlighted that the road was in a bad state that even large vehicles were having a tough time crossing the bridge.
“We noticed that even buses were struggling to cross the bridge and trucks delivering supplies had stopped reaching some business centers because they could not access this road” Sakhile said.
Undeterred by the scale of the challenge, the youth rallied together to address the issue. “A WhatsApp group with local youths was used to mobilize and 32 young people came through, they all contributed their time voluntarily,” Sakhile added.
The successful completion of the bridge repair has already yielded positive results. “With the bridge fixed, we have noticed that buses are now crossing with ease and the trucks that had stopped delivering have now resumed their delivery service,” Sakhile reported.
A young man from Bidi village, Sibonelo Khuphe, highlighted that partaking in this initiative has helped him appreciate the power of unity of youths in a community.
“Working together for a common good in your community actually yields good results and indeed better one’s area of residence,” added Sibonelo.
While the youths’ dedication is commendable, the need for further skill development has been highlighted.
Claudette Ndlovu, another youth, emphasized, “The youths do need to be equipped with skills to ensure that they can do these interventions on a greater scale.”
She added that there is a need to engage the youth on a regular basis to ensure that they do not lose this momentum.
The ward 8 youth’s initiative serves as an inspiration to other communities, demonstrating that with determination and collaboration, young people can be catalysts for positive change.
“The work that was done by the youth in our community is plausible, there is a need for us as the elders to engage them so that they do not lose the momentum,” shared the Advisor to the village Headman, Mr Gabriel Ndebele on one of the community WhatsApp groups.
