CAROLINE Manyevere and Sarudzai Kanjanga of Stoneridge, one of Harare’s new human settlements, saw their life disrupted during the COVID-19 lockdowns which restricted movement.
With no formal jobs to guarantee them a decent source of income during the lockdown, life became difficult for the pair while feeding their children became a herculean task.
To add to their woes, their husbands were informal traders, with no means of income when movement was restricted.
In January last year, the pair was selected to become pioneers of a two-year project titled Harare Urban Youth Empowerment (HUYE) being implemented in Epworth and Stoneridge with support from Plan International.
“We were just ordinary people in society but through the project, our lives have changed. We are making our own money through selling and making these cleaning detergents,” Manyevere told NewsDay Weekender.
The project, which started in January 2022 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is working with 475 young persons between the age of 16 and 35. Of the 475 beneficiaries, 80% are aged 16-24.
Additionally, at least 60% of project participants are female (285 women and 190 male).
Of these, 29 young people have disabilities. With support from HUYE, Manyevere and Kanjanga came up with New Path Investment, a detergent-making company.
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“We started this company in February this year after splitting from another company following a minor misunderstanding which was a blessing to us,” said Manyevere.
“We went for a business skills training in Marondera that was facilitated by Plan International, that is where we acquired these skills of making cleaning detergents.”
Manyevere said they also acquired different skills such as catering and baking so as to improve their lives.
“These skills have equipped us as women in Stoneridge to be economic and independent. We are able to pay school fees for our children and ensure that they get good and proper food.”
Kanjanga added: “Making these detergents has been helpful to our day-to-day lives because we also use them to clean people’s houses and we get money for both services. Plan International has really helped us with these skills; we really want to go far with the project.”
HUYE is one of the empowerment programmes that Plan International unveiled to help youth, especially young women, overcome the effects of the COVID-19.
Plan International programmes coordinator Oraih Musendo said the programme seeks to empower young people with entrepreneurship skills.
“Young people have been trained in at least 10 vocational skills such as baking, welding, interior décor, detergent-making,beverages, dressmaking, beauty therapy, hairdressing, mushroom production and catering,” Musendo said.
