Stories
October 14, 2024 • 1 min read
For young adults in vulnerable communities, Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) is short-term, flexible way to up-skill. Dorothy is a young woman living in Hopley, a suburb of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. After enrolling in a TVET course, Dorothy was sadly forced to drop out when she could no longer afford the tuition fees.
Technical and Vocational Education Training
The USAID-funded UPLIFT II Technical and Vocational Education Training was implemented by GOAL in February. It supports vulnerable, out-of-school youth by improving access to tertiary education.
This empowers them to acquire technical skills that can be leveraged into dignified and meaningful employment. The courses also teach transferable soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
“When I was doing my form three, things became tough for my family. My sister could no longer afford to send me to school,” Dorothy explains. “The available income that we had, had to be channelled toward our household food needs. I lost hope and felt I would not be able to achieve anything meaningful in life.”
When Dorothy learned about the UPLIFT TVET programme, she enrolled in a hotel and catering course at St. Peters Industrial College, facilitated by GOAL. Slowly but surely, Dorothy regained her confidence and her hope for a better future.
Motivated by her passion for baking and a desire to change her life, she completed her TVET course and kickstarted her own small business – Dee Foods.
Sustainable Livelihoods
“I acquired baking skills, entrepreneurship skills, and confidence to start my small business in April this year. Even if I face challenges in the future, I now believe I am resilient. With my cake business, I know I will eventually grow and be more financially stable and be able to provide for my siblings as well as grow my business,” Dorothy says proudly.
After she graduated from the rigorous three-month training course, Dorothy began baking and selling cakes. Her orders now generate her a weekly take-home income of at least $25 to $30.
“My goal is to expand my business from just cakes to various foods and snacks suppliers; that’s why I named it Dee Foods. Practice makes perfect, I am getting better and better each day such that I have begun to receive positive feedback from my clients and getting more customers,” Dorothy says, smiling.
Under the UPLIFT TVET programme, 390 youth from Hopley, Mbare, and Stoneridge have enrolled in courses that focus on hotels and catering, garment construction, carpentry, metal fabrication, and cosmetology.
