Innovation hub set for Bulawayo youths

Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter

AN innovation hub has been set up in Bulawayo with the focus of transforming lives of vulnerable youths through the capacitation of Information, communication and technology skills.

The Modi foundation in collaboration with the Dual core set up the innovation hub after winning the fifth Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) Hackathon competitions that saw them getting funding to initiate the project.

The annual Hackathon is part of the country’s ICT innovation drive being administered by POTRAZ and whose major objectives are to increase ICT research and development as well as ICT uptake by innovators and research institutions in Zimbabwe.

This is done by identifying, supporting and capacitating ICT innovators in the country, in order to develop their ideas into bankable solutions for Zimbabwe and the global market.

Addressing youths who witnessed the progress made so far in setting up the innovation hub, patron of the Modi foundation who is also the Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Raj Modi said:

“This is the road to our President’s vision 2030 that we can become an upper middle income society. We will see that youths will come and learn different ICT skills in line with the global trends.

Dual Core technologies representative Mr Louis Herbst said the project is aimed at capacitating vulnerable youths in Bulawayo and surrounding areas as part of measures to reduce drugs and substance abuse.

This joint project will empower young people socially, politically and economically through career counselling, training, mentoring and access to ICT services as well as fashion, design and tailoring for the girl child. This pre-launch of the Youth Innovation Hub is to sanitize Matabeleland of the fact that it is marginalised in line with the Presidents His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa mantra that leave no man, woman or child behind. This launch is an awareness campaign of what’s to come and what will be available to our youth.

“We collectively are proud and glad to recognize and thank POTRAZ through their Innovation Drive and Hackathon for the award of a grant and guidance through coaches towards establishing and progressing our vision for the youth,” said Mr Herbst

He further called for the Bulawayo community to also support the noble cause.

“To the Matabeleland region particularly young women in rural areas who face many challenges in accessing opportunities, employment, social justice and life skills, the Youth Innovation Hub is being set up and we shall be looking for more/any support and assistance from any willing partners be it industry or individually in implementing and making the Hub a success and to fill this gap in society to become a middle and upper income based society in line with His Excellency Vision 2030,” said Mr Herbst.

Young people said the development will help them shun drug and substance abuse through getting occupied and also be innovated to be self-employed.

The second republic believes that through innovation hubs, young people can leave a legacy of inventions of global impact and has thus supported the youth’s transformational ideas.

@nyeve14