WITH 33% of Tongogara Refugee Camp’s 16 035 residents aged between 18 and 35 ready to work but lacking opportunities, the government, Unicef Zimbabwe, UNHCR, Goodwall and The Boost Fellowship Trust, have launched the FairChance Youth on the Move (YoTM) programme to offer a lifeline.
Launched last week, the project aims to break down employment barriers for youth who face restrictive conditions in the settlement through seven pillars, namely youth mobilisation, skills training, connectivity support, on-site pitch challenge support, seed capital management, ongoing mentorship and marketing linkages, and the capacitation of the Tongogara Refugee Social Innovation Hub.
The programme’s multi-faceted approach includes hiring local interns, identification of youth ambassadors and the creation of entrepreneurial and pitch challenges, offering pathways for young people to create business ideas that directly impact camp life.
Successful pitches will receive seed funding between US$2 000 and US$3 000, with ongoing mentorship provided by Boost Fellowship Trust and other partners.
“Boost will continue to provide mentorship and support to seed capital recipients so that they are able to fully get the best out of the investments and we will also assist in facilitating linkages to local markets,” Boost programmes manager Tinashe Mushonga said.
With digital access a priority, FairChance will support the camp’s Transformative Innovation Hub with new ICT resources and year-long internet connectivity, allowing youth to engage in virtual learning and entrepreneurship activities.
Unicef Zimbabwe deputy representative Zainab Adam said the efforts would help to bridge the digital divide and enhance access to online resources and learning opportunities.
“This programme aims to empower young people, especially those displaced by conflict, by providing them with the skills and opportunities they need to build brighter futures,” Adam said.
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“At Unicef, we recognise the immense challenges that you face as young people, especially coming from vulnerable situations. Many of you here today are familiar with the struggles of unemployment, limited education and the pressure of social issues like substance abuse.”
The programme has already identified and trained 50 youth ambassadors within the settlement to mobilise their peers.
The initiative, which also focuses on environmental projects, is involving youth in community-driven tasks such as the camp’s “Greening agenda”, where participants will have the opportunity to improve both their livelihoods and their community, aligning with Unicef’s long-term vision of self-sufficiency for refugee youth.
The FairChance YoTM programme is expected to serve as a model for other refugee settlements in Zimbabwe, with a focus on scalable, sustainable empowerment that addresses both immediate economic needs and future aspirations of young refugees.
UNHCR head of field mission at Tongogara, Catherine Odete, said the partners were committed to supporting the successful implementation and expansion of the programme.
Settlement administrator Johanne Mhlanga said FairChance fitted well into the transformative agenda of the camp.
“We are working towards transforming Tongogara into a vibrant service centre that benefits both refugees and the local community,” he said.
“Our vision, the ‘Agenda for Transformation towards the Tongogara We Want,’ focuses on developing modern infrastructure, education, commerce and creativity, with projects like a vocational training centre, climate-smart agriculture, resilient housing and improved technology in schools.”
