ABOUT 1 000 women and young farmers will receive training under the Skills for Youth and Women Employability and Productivity (SYWEP) project to equip them with the financial and technical skills they need for their horticulture, aquaculture and goat farming businesses.
The project is an initiative of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in partnership with the Government of Zimbabwe and the African Development Bank (AfDB).Zimbabwe trade fair
It is being implemented in seven districts across the country, including Filabusi and Binga districts in the Matabeleland region.
In his remarks during the validation and co-creation of business and market analysis of the goat value chain in Bulawayo, ILO Zimbabwe and Namibia country director Ms Philile Masuku said over the years, the collaboration with the Government has expanded in scope and impact.
This reaffirms shared commitment to economic development, decent work and social inclusion.
A Goat Aggregation Business Cluster Unit (ABCU) is going to be established at Phangani Vocational Training Centre in Insiza District.
“The analysis examines production potential, market demand, pricing dynamics, supply conditions, institutional capacities, and systemic risks across the goat value chain,” said Ms Masuku.
“Its purpose is to provide an evidence-based foundation for developing a viable business model, guiding investment decisions and designing a sustainable, market-oriented enterprise that can enhance income opportunities for youth and women while strengthening local livestock value chains.
“The project embraces the pursuit of equitable development in line with the National Development Strategy 2 goals on devolution and decentralisation.”
The project also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals and Vocational Training Centres blueprint.
Ms Masuku said the SYWEP seeks to promote empowerment programmes that also address the needs of women, youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Its implementation is anchored on stakeholder participation, value for money and timely delivery and benchmarking of projects and programmes.
“The SYWEP project is not just a new intervention, it is a strategic building block on the foundation of three successful initiatives: the Youth and Women Empowerment Project, the Sustainable Enterprise Development for Women and Youth (SEDWAY) Project and the Business Growth for Young Entrepreneurs Project (BG4YE),” said Ms Masuku.
Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training director of business development, Ms Caroline Murewi, said goats are vital to local communities. Ms Masuku said that, given that people are used to goat rearing, the project will help commercialise goat farming.
She said the project will also help improve genetics for local goats, calling upon farmers to explore not only goats for meat but also for fibre and milk.
“We are used to the subsistence way of looking after our goats, but we would like to scale it up so that we can realise some profits by turning the usual way of keeping our traditional goats into business,” said Mr Murewi.
She urged farmers to adopt fodder production to reduce the cost of production and enhance profits.
Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development director for women affairs department, Mrs Julia Mapungwana, who was represented by Ms Vimbai Mutuhwe, said collaboration would drive goat production for household, community and national progress.
She said the ministry values initiatives that are meant to promote women empowerment and community development.
Phangani Vocational Training Centre principal, Mr Hilton Moyo, applauded the ILO, the Government and AfDB for the SYWEP goat value chain project in Insiza district, saying that they once tried it but it failed due to lack of funding.
He said: “We want to appreciate the efforts made BY ILO and Government to bring empowerment projects within our province to empower youth, people with disability and women.”
“We tried it as a department but there were challenges that we faced, issued to do with finance, but the coming in of ILO and AfDB will transform in a big way, it will make it easy to attend to some challenges like water supply, manpower and security issues.”
The three-year SYWEP projects, which commenced in January 2025 will be facilitated by VTC in the seven selected districts.-herald
