Bulawayo Projects Centre (BPC) and SOS Zimbabwe launched a youth skills programme under a grant provided by Heimstaden Foundation. The programme, which targets 150 in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province and Umguza District began in May 2022. The intervention is already being implemented in Bulawayo but has yet to start in Umguza District where preliminary stakeholder consultation is still being conducted.
The programme by BPC and SOS Zimbabwe targets 75 youths in Bulawayo and another 75 in Umguza District with Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET). The intervention is meant to mitigate vulnerability in the targeted areas by empowering youths between the ages of 16 years to 24 years with skills to either find or create employment for themselves. The youths who are benefitting from the programme had to meet several criteria to be eligible including those living with one or two caregivers, and those who have lost parental care. Those youths who are already in the programme had to also go through verification processes including interviews to ensure that their lived experiences conform to the set criteria and to also ensure they are committed to the programme to reduce the dropout rate.
Various TVET courses are being offered under the programme including Motor Mechanics, Solar Installation, Hotel and Catering among others. Additionally, the programme has an advocacy component to raise awareness against gender-based violence, creating awareness of available funding and job opportunities available for the youths and life skills.
BPC and SOS Zimbabwe have had a long-standing relationship where they work together in and around Bulawayo to improve the livelihoods of families by targeting youths in those households with skills for self-improvement. The Heimstaden Foundation Programme is one of several such programmes implemented by the two organisations.