By Staff Reporter
Zvimba – On June 29, 2025, 75-year-old Gogo Viola Mavhiyo joined more than 150 young people in Zvimba West Constituency for provisional driver’s licence lessons and emerged the best performer with a perfect 100% score.
The lessons were part of a broader empowerment programme that also offered training in welding, mortuary science, baking and catering, hairdressing, detergent making, and Early Childhood Development (ECD) teaching.
The initiative, introduced by Zvimba West Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Honourable Mercy Dinha, aims to equip communities with practical skills that promote self-reliance.
Gogo Mavhiyo said she was inspired to take part after attending an awareness meeting in April.
“I signed up for four programmes—ECD teaching, baking, and detergent making. I was skeptical about the driving lessons because I knew there would be reading and writing involved. Since I’m already doing a degree in Theology, I didn’t want to overload myself, but I managed to balance everything and excelled exceptionally,” she said.
She recalled being the first to arrive at Murombedzi Centre for the June lessons, a determination she attributed to her upbringing on a farm.
“I may be old and might never use these skills for work like the young ones, but I know some things I used to buy in shops I can now make myself. This will keep me busy and happy,” she added.
Encouraging the youth, she said:
“The Deputy Minister said we are the pilots of this programme and it will spread across the constituency. I urge young people to join—it can change lives.”
Hon. Dinha said the initiative was part of the government’s efforts to align communities with Vision 2030.
“We are leaving no one behind. Our aim is to equip everyone, especially the youth, with skills so that by 2030 no one goes hungry. These courses are designed not only for formal employment but also for self-employment. We believe this will also help fight drug and substance abuse, early marriages, gender-based violence, and crime,” she said.
She added that she was pleased to hear some women were already planning to open an ECD centre, showing the programme’s immediate impact.
Ward 2 Councillor Andrew Chirenda applauded the initiative.
“This will definitely drive youths off the streets. We may not eliminate drug and substance abuse 100%, but this will reduce the numbers. For instance, you don’t need five O Levels to do driving,” he said.
The programme, brought to Zvimba West Constituency in partnership with Tonganyika Trust, is ongoing and targets people of all ages.
