At Youth for Today and Tomorrow (YTT), we’re committed to empowering young people and transforming communities through innovative projects in agriculture, renewable energy, peace-building, and mental health. Here’s an update on our work in Tsholotsho, Bulawayo, and Matobo, and a glimpse into our exciting plans for 2025.
In Tsholotsho, our Harnessing Youth Potential (HYP) projects are making a tangible difference in the lives of young people and their communities.
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In Matobo, our Lahlingubo Youth Garden and Goat Rearing Project are empowering communities despite challenges.
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In Bulawayo, our Safer Schools and Communities Project is transforming schools into spaces of learning, growth, and peace.
Our work in Tsholotsho, Matobo, and Bulawayo is transforming lives and communities, but we can’t do it alone. Here’s how you can support us in 2025:
Together, we can unlock the potential of youth and build a future where everyone thrives.
Deforestation is NOT an option!
In Zimbabwe, deforestation remains the largest threat to the country’s forests. The Forestry Commission estimates that over 300 000 hectares of forests are lost each year due to deforestation as more people use wood for fuel. According to Zimbabwe National Statistic Agency (ZimStat), Zimbabwe will be a desert in the next 25 years if the cutting of trees continues. If the excessive cutting of trees
What is it Deforestation?
Deforestation is the clearance or the removal of a forest or trees after which the cleared land is not converted to forest use. It can also be defined as the clearing of forests, intentional destruction of trees or vegetation for agricultural, commercial, housing or firewood use without reforestation (replanting trees) and without allowing time for the forest to regenerate itself.
Examples of deforestation include changing of forestland to farms, ranches or urban use.
The negative effects of Deforestation
The removal of trees without enough reforestation can damage natural habitat, lead to dryness in the air and loss of different types of life found on earth. Deforestation is one of the major contributions to the greenhouse effect and formation of deserts.
In areas where most of the trees have been destroyed, soil is washed away during the rainy season and blown away during the dry season, which, leads to infertile lands. This causes animal death, changes to climatic conditions and formation of deserts.
The major cause of deforestation is agriculture such as subsistence farming when farmers focus on growing enough food for themselves and their families. This type of farming is responsible for 48% of deforestation. Commercial agriculture is farming for profit and is responsible for 32% of deforestation. Logging on the other hand is the business of cutting trees for timber and is responsible for 14% of deforestation, while fuel wood removals make up 5% of deforestation.
tsholotsho floods
Floods in Tsholotsho
Uses of trees in the environment
Plants remove carbon in the form of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis but release some oxygen back into the atmosphere. Photosynthesis is a chemical process through which plants produce glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water using light as the only source of energy.
The water cycle is also affected by deforestation. Trees extract groundwater through their roots and release it as water vapour into the atmosphere. When part of a forest is removed, there are fewer trees to release water vapour, resulting in a much drier climate. Deforestation reduces the content of water in the soil and underground water as well as atmospheric moisture.
Deforestation leads to soil erosion, flooding and landslides. Instead of trapping rainfall, water runs off, which moves much faster and this movement causes flooding.
Youths for Today and Tomorrow engages youths on environmental issues ensuring that all projects are environmentally friendly. Awareness is raised on common practises such as cutting down of trees that may negatively affect the environment. The youths where possible, are encouraged to use dead wood and to plant trees as their contribution to reforestation. To date YTT youths have planted about 600 trees, which they are nurturing. They are also encouraged to fence their gardens and fields to avoid the excessive cutting down of trees because “cutting down of trees is indeed NOT an option”.
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it”, Robert Swan. The environment we abuse and the living things we kill in the end will take their revenge for in exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future. Remember! There is only one earth. Let us save our environment.
Did you know?
Deforestation causes 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year to be emitted into the atmosphere, more than all cars and trucks together worldwide.
Half of the world’s tropical forests has already been cleared.
6 billion people across the globe depend on forest products for their livelihoods thereby adding more to deforestation.
Poverty,over-population and unequal land access are the main causes of man-made deforestation.
There are more than 121 natural remedies in the rain forest, which can be used as medicines.
The rate of deforestation equals to loss of 20 football fields every minute in United States of America.
If the current rate of deforestation continues, it will take less than 100 years to destroy all the rainforests on the earth.
Forests cover 30% of the earth’s land.
Sources:
American association for the Advancement of Science as reported in the Economist Feb.23, 2008.
Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health — World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products — The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS’s Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005 & 2010) and the State of the World’s Forests (2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001).
Tags: cutting down trees, deforestation, environment, trees
This topic is debatable because there are many factors!
This topic is debatable because there are many factors that determine one’s decision on when to start having sexual intercourse. Some will look at it from a cultural, religious or personal perspective yet some will consider what they think is morally correct for them.
In most cultures, for example in the African Culture, it is culturally inappropriate for children under the age of 21 to be engaged in sexual activities. This is because they are still viewed as minors by the society they live in. According to certain cultures, minors should not be exposed to any sexual content unless it is educational.
The law is one of the many factors that influence one on when to start indulging in sexual activities as in some countries it is specified when one is considered old enough to make a decision as to whether or not to engage in sexual activities. This is called the “Age of consent”. In Zimbabwe, the legal “Age of Consent” is 16. This plays an important role in the country as well as in societal circles as this is the age when a young person is considered able to indulge in sexual activities. Age of consent is one of the first considerations one would make before engaging in sexual activities.
Peer pressure or “peer influence” is one of the most common factors among youths that fuels one`s decision to indulge in sexual activities in a bid “to fit in” often with far reaching unintended consequences.
In the Christian religion, it is considered immoral for one to engage in sexual activities before marriage. In Zimbabwe, it is said that more than 80 of the population are Christians. Engaging in sexual activities is considered immoral but this may differ in other religions. The Christian religious faith plays an important role in shaping decision making on sexual issues among youths.
In a study carried out by YTT among young people in Matobo, a large number of youths indicated that they engage in sexual activities due to boredom. The youths find themselves idle, jobless and without any form of entertainment. To relieve the boredom young people turn to the media as a source of entertainment. This however, may also result in direct exposure to sexual related content that make youths to experiment with sex at an inappropriate age. Boredom has thus been wrongly used as an excuse to indulge in sexual activities at an early age.
Is there a specific age when one should start indulging in sexual activities? This issue is debatable depending on which angle one is looking at, it could be legally, culturally, socially or religiously. It is up to one now to choose what is best for them and make informed choices.
Young people have shown great dedication and commitment to what they are being taught. They have joined the business world and have taken it to another level. Nurse Moyo and Kwanele Moyo from Sankonjana village Ward 1 are some of the many who have made it and have shown that nothing is impossible as long as one is dedicated and committed.
These young women make and sale jewellery using beads and they lend some of the community members money, which is paid back with interest.
They are about to start market gardening with the other peace corner members namely Milton Ncube, Siphiwe Dube and Ntandokababa Ngwenya.
Have you ever felt like the money in your pocket is not enough to buy all the household groceries? Do you always have trouble in spending more money than anticipated?
The first step in managing your money is to know what you need money for, such as necessary expenses like food, clothing, school fees, expected events and emergencies which, are classified as “money needed for the family”. In business, money is needed for debt payment, business supplies and rent. It is important to classify family and business expenses because they help one to plan and set aside money for expenses that do not occur regularly.
It also helps one to save and postpone other purchases until there is enough money to buy them. Before purchasing anything, it is important to start by writing down what you want to buy and how much it will cost and whether the money you have available is enough for the purchases.This is the first step in learning how to budget.
A budget is the total amount of money allocated or needed for a particular purpose or period.
Steps to develop a budget:
In reviewing your financial goals, it is important to start by writing them down. Look at the set period, for example, if by the end of November you want to buy a stove, will you have enough money to purchase it from your income? Estimate the amount of income by source. This means knowing the amount of income one will get during the period of budgeting.
After this, the next step is to list all your expenses and amounts needed by starting with what is needed most and the cost of it. After listing the expenses, make sure they are not more than the money you are willing to spend. However, if they are more costly, adjust them according to the money available.
The next step is to decide how much you will save. Consider what you seek to achieve, for example, you may decide in April that you want to buy a solar lamp by the end of June and how much is required to set aside to purchase it. When all this has been done, review and adjust everything to fit on the budget then you are good to go.
