16/09/2026
YOUTH MUST NOT WAIT FOR TOMORROW β THE TIME IS NOW
This past Monday, Voice of Youths and Children Trust - VOYACT was represented by Sibanda Mduduzi, a member of our Emergency Response Team (ERT), at the Youth Symposium, organised by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), Zimcodd and Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation under the theme:
βEmpowering Youth: Driving Zimbabwe's Future of Innovation, Skill and Leadership in Mining, Energy, Agriculture and Community Development.β
The ZAMI Symposium is an annual youth-focused event held ahead of the main Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI), providing a platform for young people to engage, reflect and contribute to conversations around Zimbabwe's development, natural resources, livelihoods and leadership.
Central to this year's deliberations was an important call for young people to recognise their place and responsibility in shaping Zimbabwe's present and future.
Too often, young people hold back because they believe they do not fit, lack the necessary experience, or that their time is tomorrow. Yet, the message from the symposium was clear that the time is not tomorrow. The time is today. Young people must step forward, participate, innovate, serve and lead.
The discussions further challenged us to rethink how we approach development. It is not only about asking how much we can extract, produce or generate, but also asking "How many people can benefit?"
Young people must be at the centre of opportunities, skills development, innovation and the benefits emerging from Zimbabwe's key sectors. They must not simply be spectators of development, but active participants, innovators, leaders and change-makers.
At VOYACT, we believe that empowering young people means creating spaces where they can participate, develop skills, take responsibility and contribute meaningfully to their communities.