Youth Development: Affordable and Well Prepared Meals Just Not Enough

It is always a sad indictment for a society and educational institutions alike, when most of what they can offer to counter sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) amongst youths is an affordable and well prepared meal. It was with great distress that I read an article in this morning's Herald regarding an upsurge in student STIs at one of the institutions of higher education in Zimbabwe.

In response to questions regarding steps the university is taking in addressing the upsurge in STIs, Mr Musekiwa Tapera, director of marketing and public relations said, "The University was providing affordable and well-prepared meals to discourage students from seeking recourse to sugar daddies and mummies."

Undoubtedly students need an affordable and well prepared meal in order to see them through those grueling days of study, after all some us are were students recently and others still are, hence we can relate to what Mr Tapera said.

For the record,CIYDA commends the university in going some way in providing a nutritious and affordable meal for the students. However that in itself is not enough to see to it that students stay focused and do not engage in unproductive and self destructive extra-curricular activities.

In a previous post on this Blog CIYDA pointed out a few measures that governments can take in tackling idleness amongst youths by giving them an alternative that is paramount to their self-development. Amongst some of the suggestions were, engaging in business enterprise competitions with awards to viable projects as well as cost-paid voluntary activities within the community. The former gives youths an opportunity to explore their potential in different areas, after all, the sky is not the limit but one's scope is the limit. The latter will see youths putting their spare time into activities that enrich them socially while also gaining skills useful to them at a later stage in their lives as well as for employment. CIYDA understands that such initiatives don't happen overnight and will take a concerted effort from governments, educational institutions and NGO's alike.

In exoneration for Mr Tapera and the institution in question they have initiated other remote intervention initiatives such as STI workshops and most strikingly scholarships for students, although not known in what capacity.

In its current draft for 2010 youth engagement strategies and furthering its advocacy work for youth development, CIYDA is looking not only to have greater visibility in universities around Zimbabwe but also a greater impact. CIYDA will work to establish points of contact through its regional delegates that will work with youths in universities to promote productive projects such as business enterprise, volunteering and social and cultural activities. This is in conjunction with CIYDA's respective departments, namely, Business Start-up, Social & Cultural Integration, Youth Mentorship and Youth Volunteering.

Although far from being the remedy to increasing cases of STIs amongst youths, CIYDA is confident this will go a long way in keeping youths busy and involved in things that they not only enjoy but those that are central to their general development.

In an effort to realise maximum positive returns from this institution initiative, CIYDA will continue to listen and work with corporate and governmental organisations that share in our plight of youth development and want to contribute their resources. After all, a healthy and well-rounded youth populace will in the long run prove invaluable to both entities.

Disclaimer: - Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein from other websites, CIYDA cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions transferred from other websites and expressed herein are those of the author of the ORIGINAL article and do not necessarily represent the views of CIYDA, CIYDA Executive Director, CIYDA Team or CIYDA Associates.

What is CIYDA
Contemporary Indigenous Youth Development Africa (CIYDA) is a non-profit organisation founded in 2008 and is based in Harare, Zimbabwe. CIYDA is working to develop and empower the youths of Zimbabwe for the benefits of the nation and Africa as a continent through the use of new media, information technology and networking amongst other things. Through these drivers, CIYDA aims to facilitate an information hub and service provision in the areas of Business Start-up, Social & Cultural Integration, Socio-economic Mentoring and Volunteering. Through current globalisation trends and dispersion of Zimbabwean youths, CIYDA currently has a network connection of approximately 500 Zimbabwean youths in many countries amongst them, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia and Canada.