In a significant boost towards youth empowerment and self-reliance, Higherlife Foundation today Thursday the 5th of February 2026 handed over start-up kits worth USD $7,000 to 12 graduates who completed eight months vocational skills training at Ponesai Vanhu Technical College (PVTC). The handover ceremony took place the Higherlife Foundation offices in Arundel Office Park in Harare.
The graduates completed eight-month courses consisting of four months of in-school training followed by a four-month industrial attachment. The graduating class comprised of four girls studying Beauty Therapy, two boys in Motor Mechanics, two boys in Building Studies, and three boys and one girl in Confectionery and Bakery Studies (CBS). The graduates are former residents of the Ponesai Vanhu Children’s Home who have recently turned 18 and transitioned into mainstream society.
To help these grauduates to successfully enter the workforce and earn a decent living, the Foundation provided specialized start-up kits tailored to each graduate’s chosen trade. Some of the start-up kits included toolboxes for motor mechanics, five-burner gas stoves and pots for confectionery and bakery, massage kits and hair styling equipment for beauty therapy, along with construction tools for building studies.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Chiedza Dewa, Senior Associate for Institutional Support at Higherlife Foundation commended the students for their resilience and hard work. She urged them to view the kits as a capital injection to kick-start meaningful careers. "I look forward to visiting you in the future to witness your success stories and the impact you will undoubtedly have on our economy,"she noted.
Ruth Makumbe, the Programs Director of DAPP Zimbabwe expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the ongoing support for Higherlife Foundation's ongoing support to the organization. She stated, "We are grateful for Higherlife’s assistance which includes funding school fees for these children from primary to tertiary level. Today, we are celebrating another milestone as these graduates receive start-up kits to support their future endeavors. As an organization, we say thank you."
Abigail Hofisi, a graduate in Confectionery and Bakery Studies expressed her heartfelt gratitude in a thank-you message. She explained that the start-up kit she received today would significantly aid her in launching her own catering business. Meanwhile, Allam Mudziki, a graduate in Motor Vehicle Maintenance mentioned that the tools he received would enable him to take private house calls and build a clientele while he prepares to open his own workshop.
The ceremony was attended by PVTC Principal Terrence Makumbe, PVCH Project Leader Abigail Marira, 11 out of the 12 graduates, with one graduate receiving their kit in absentia and other key stakeholders.
This initiative directly supports Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy (NDS2), which prioritizes job creation, entrepreneurship and youth-led industrialization. By formalizing these creative and technical skills, DAPP Zimbabwe and the Higherlife Foundation are actively contributing to the country’s economic growth.