Zimbabwe's largest food manufacturer, National Foods (NatFoods), has invested US$30 000 into an egg layer project through its stockfeeds division, as part of efforts to empower rural youths in western parts of the country.
The empowerment programme will also entail skills and enterprise development.
The empowerment initiative, a new egg layer production programme, is being implemented in partnership with the Community Foundation for the Western Region of Zimbabwe.
The programme, called "A Life A Day," (ALAD) aims to empower youths in rural Zimbabwe to develop sustainable livelihoods through enterprise development.
Mike Lashbrook, the NatFoods group chief executive, said the business believed it had a responsibility to invest in future generations by providing skills and opportunities for youths to reach their full potential.
"Our business has been built on the hard work and dedication of Zimbabweans over many decades.
"A Life A Day programme is one way we are working to build a pipeline of talent and support entrepreneurship, which will benefit communities and the broader economy," he said in a statement.
National Foods Stockfeeds, has supported over 1 500 youths in various communities in Matabeleland North and South since inception of the empowerment programme last year.
The programme has been instilling confidence and harnessing the skills required by youths to run their viable small enterprises profitably.
"We are grateful to partners like National Foods who share our vision for empowering youths and communities through enterprise development and livelihood improvements," said Sithabile Ndlovu, director of the ALAD programme at the Community Foundation for the Western Region of Zimbabwe.
"We want to see youths taking charge of their development through deliberate actions that will transform their lives and livelihoods," she added.
Ms Ndlovu noted that the partnership with National Foods will catalyse opportunities for self-employment, income generation, and poverty reduction for many families.
"A Life A Day is an innovative model for corporate social investment that can create real change and opportunities in people's lives," she said.
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National Foods said by investing in youth and communities, the company was cultivating future prosperity and helping build a healthier, more sustainable Zimbabwe for all.
"The company remains committed to initiatives that deliver impact by investing in society," reads the statement.
The Government, through a Cabinet resolution last year, declared drug and substance abuse a national disaster and called upon responsible citizens, corporations, and others to come up with strategies to curb this abuse, especially among youths.
The group said that through the initiative, the stockfeeds division wanted to ensure that young people keep themselves busy with profitable and productive endeavours.
The egg layer production programme is part of the company's broader goals to invest in youth, support rural industrialisation, and promote long-term health and food security.
The first phase of the biannual programme has seen National Foods provide resources, including 1 000 laying hens for youth in the Ndiweni Community in Matabeleland South.
This will enable them to establish egg layer projects through a pass-on scheme that will be managed by the Community Foundation.
Participants will gain skills in poultry management, business development, and entrepreneurship.
The programme aims to help youth develop sustainable small enterprises and become self-sufficient egg producers, with excess supply sold to generate income.
