Zimbabwe has a predominantly young population with about 67.7% of citizens under the age of 35. This demographic dividend could drive national development if young people are empowered with opportunities and skills. However, many youths especially in rural areas face limited employment, poverty and restricted access to education and health services. These challenges expose them to risky behaviors such as substance abuse, early marriages, sexual exploitation and sexually transmitted infections including HIV.
In Shamva District, these vulnerabilities are visible among rural youth struggling to build sustainable livelihoods. To address this, Development Aid from People to People Zimbabwe (DAPP Zimbabwe), with support from City Tre SRL and HPP Italia launched the Youth Economic Empowerment as a Strategy to Address Sexual Health and Substance Abuse project in November 2025. This one-year initiative focuses on economic empowerment through agriculture, a sector that supports approximately 70% of Zimbabwe’s population.
The project directly supports 20 young people from local villages through strengthened group gardening. Participants receive horticultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and crop protection chemicals. Youths are also trained in climate-smart agricultural practices to improve production and resilience. Working together, the youth share knowledge, skills and income from their collective efforts. They follow crop rotation methods and use solar dryers to preserve surplus produce, minimize post-harvest losses and add value to their crops.
Beyond production, the project connects youth to reliable markets including major supermarkets, allowing them to sell their produce at competitive prices. This access boosts income, improves food security and strengthens resilience to climate change.
By equipping young people with productive skills, essential resources and market access, the project is fostering economic independence, healthier lifestyles and sustainable community development. Through this project, the youth of Shamva District are not only growing crops, they are growing opportunities, resilience and hope for a brighter future.