Each year, International Youth Day is a reminder of the power, creativity, and resilience of young people worldwide. This year’s global theme, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond”, speaks directly to the work that youth in Bulawayo have been doing; work that is ready to transform our city if given the policy backing it deserves.
For the past year, the Youth for Innovation Trust (YIT) and the Bulawayo Youth Policy Working Group, a coalition of youth-led civil society organisations, youth centre leaders, and champion councillors, have been spearheading a process to review and modernise the outdated Bulawayo Youth Policy. The policy was established in the late 1950s when it primarily focused on recreational activities. Today, our realities are different, our challenges more complex, and our potential greater than ever.
The new draft policy recognises that young people in Bulawayo are not a homogenous group. It responds to the needs of marginalised youth, including young women, young people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ youth, and those from low-income backgrounds. It sets clear goals to ensure access to housing, education, economic opportunities, digital skills, health services, and safe spaces for innovation, arts, and climate action.
Crucially, it aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing unemployment, poverty, inequality, and environmental resilience through youth-led solutions.In its vision, the policy places young people as active citizens, not passive beneficiaries. It promotes youth-driven development, where programmes are designed and implemented with young people at the centre. It calls for a 50% youth quota in land allocation, support for youth entrepreneurs through accessible markets and tenders, investment in ICT hubs and creative industries, and rehabilitation services for those facing addiction or mental health struggles. It even outlines mechanisms to involve youth directly in decision-making through a permanent Youth Working Group within the Bulawayo City Council. This is the kind of bold, inclusive framework that can turn the global call for local youth action into tangible results for our city. But for that to happen, the Bulawayo City Council must act.
It has now been a year since the policy review process began. Consultations by the Working Group have been completed. Recommendations have been consolidated. The draft is ready. The next step, adoption, is entirely in the hands of our city leaders. Every month of delay is a month where young people’s potential is wasted, and pressing challenges remain unaddressed. Bulawayo has the opportunity to lead the way in Zimbabwe by becoming the first city to adopt a modern, inclusive, and SDG-aligned youth policy. Doing so will not only benefit the city’s largest demographic, with 62% of Zimbabwe’s population under 25, but also unlock economic growth, social stability, and innovation for generations to come. International Youth Day is not just a celebration; it is a call to action. As young people, we have shown readiness, vision, and commitment. Now, we ask the Bulawayo City Council to match that commitment with decisive action. Adopt the Bulawayo Youth Policy. Invest in our ideas. Trust our leadership. Together, we can make the SDGs real for Bulawayo and build a city where every young person can thrive. The time is now, let’s not celebrate youth potential without empowering it.
Youth For Innovation Trust 