2.1 Youth Hub

A youth hub will be established consisting of an information kiosk, resource centre or library, conference facility, day care centre and skills training centre. The youth hub will serve as a safe space for youth in Harare South that allows individuals to heal from different traumatic experiences whilst at the same time gaining critical knowledge and skills.

2.2 Psychosocial Support Services (PSS)

The project will provide counselling for girls and young women survivors of sexual gender-based violence including individual and group therapy as well as peer to peer support. It will also link young women to free health services and referrals for adolescents. Given the costs associated with health services, the project will roll out the voucher-referral system to pay for the medical expenses of the vulnerable youth exposed to family planning ailments.

2.3 Life skills trainings

The youths will be trained on personal health (mental, physical, psychological), assertiveness, body image, self-defence, sexual health, reproductive health rights.  Basic literacy and numeracy skills training (Grade 1-7) and bridging support for secondary school education will be offered to the youths in Harare South. Volunteers will be engaged to assist students with homework as well as to facilitate study groups.

2.3 Economic empowerment

The project will provide youths with an opportunity to acquire vocational and entrepreneurship skills to enhance their livelihoods. The trainings will be conducted based on market demand. The trained youths will be assisted to start their enterprises, linking them up with possible markets as well as provision of small grants based on business plans submitted.

2.4 Civic participation

 The project will sensitize young people, their communities and policy makers on young women’s rights as well as ensuring that young women and their communities have information on the services they require and where to access such is vital in fulfilling rights of young women, especially with regards to access to public services. This will be made possible through building the capacity of the young people on lobbying, advocacy, and social accountability around the delivery of GRPS in their area. Through the recently established Global Platform Zimbabwe, AAZ will create platforms for these youths in Harare South to engage duty bearers and policy makers at both local and national levels.

3.0 Project Stakeholders

The project will be co-implemented by ActionAid Zimbabwe and Katswe Sistahood in close cooperation with stakeholders in Harare South. Among the notable stakeholders are Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenization and Empowerment (MoYDIE), Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Small and Medium Enterprises and Development (MoWACDSME), Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare (MoPSLSW), Ministry of Local Government, Public Works, and National Housing (MoLGPWNH, City of Harare Social Services and Health departments, CSOs and community leaders in Harare South.