GOVERNMENT on Wednesday took the issue of empowering the youths to another level when it approved the National Youth Empowerment Strategy (2026-2030). This is a five-year youth empowerment blueprint compelling all Government ministries, local authorities and the private sector to create direct employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people. The strategy’s objective is to ensure youths participate in the mainstream economy hence it compels Government ministries, councils and the private sector to come up with programmes and projects that create jobs for youths or economically empower them. The programme to empower the youths started years back and the five-year strategy approved on Wednesday is meant to enhance it. Early this year Government availed US$17 million to jumpstart youths projects. The beneficiaries included youths in agriculture, mining and those involved in other income generating projects. A total of US$10 million was allocated to youths in agriculture, US$5 million went to youths involved in mining while the remaining US$2 million was used as seed money. After the cash injection, President Mnangagwa handed over 72 tractors, 10 combine harvesters, 10 vehicles and 10 borehole drilling rigs which were shared by youths from the country’s 10 provinces. A few weeks later, President Mnangagwa provided another boost to the youths empowerment programme when he handed over equipment that included tipper trucks and front-end loaders to youth groups under the US$2 million Presidential Youth Fund. We want at this juncture to urge the youths who are the beneficiaries of the many Government empowerment schemes to take heed of the President’s call for them to produce tangible outcomes that change their livelihoods and positively impact their communities. President Mnangagwa has said he expects visible outcomes from beneficiaries of empowerment schemes and looks forward to beneficiaries coming back to show him results of the empowerment schemes. It is therefore incumbent upon the youths to work hard to ensure the resources being availed are put to good use to benefit not only themselves but their families and communities. We want to commend Government for its decision to empower the youths who are tomorrow’s leaders so that when they take over the leadership baton they are not found wanting. It is the youths who must be in the driving seat as we build the Zimbabwe we all want. Every Zimbabwean citizen has an obligation to bequeath to future generations a prosperous country and this is only possible if we all put shoulder to the wheel as we work to develop our country.