Russian youth affairs leader hails First Lady’s empowerment programmes

THE head of Russia’s Federal Agency for Youth has given First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa special mention for the sterling work she is doing with her Angel of Hope Foundation to economically empower youths across Zimbabwe and to curb drug and substance abuse.

Ms Ksenia Denisonva Razuvaeva made the remarks during a top-level meeting with Dr Mnangagwa who was accompanied by Ms Memory Mbendera, the administration officer in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation under the Youth Development and Empowerment Department.

Among the wide-ranging issues they discussed were areas of possible cooperation on youths and what the First

Lady is doing in empowering youths.

Ms Razuvaeva said her country was open for cooperation and to enhance future cooperation with Zimbabwe and help with infrastructure for youth multi-purpose centres and education facilities and invited Zimbabwean youths to participate in Russia’s business development acceleration programmes.

“We are open for international cooperation and for enhancing our future contacts.

“We wish to emphasise how we could help with infrastructure for youth centres and with education facilities.

“We invite the youth representatives of Zimbabwe to take part in our business development acceleration programmes and we invite them to file their requests and applications to take part in these projects.

“Besides being happy to welcome all the young people of Zimbabwe here in Russia, we are very much experienced in sending humanitarians missions to different parts of the world so we are ready to form a mission of different specialists to Zimbabwe to help you with current matters.

“We appreciate the efforts the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa makes in the development of youths in Zimbabwe, including the fact that she does a lot in the alleviation of drug and substance abuse by the young generation.

“We hope she will become an inspiring example for many countries of the world,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa said she was proud to be part of the group that brought together like-minded people with a common goal to empower and uplift the youth.

“Young people have been central to the Government’s development agenda hence the country has also laid the necessary institutional policy and legal frameworks to create the enabling environment and opportunities to enhance youth economic empowerment.

“Like any mother, every woman has children at heart and it is my pleasure to be part of this discussion aimed at giving us direction and guidelines towards the holistic development and empowerment of our young men and women. “I look forward for these deliberations that they will result in fruitful discussions in coming up with ideas that will empower our future leaders. My country Zimbabwe has in place strategic documents that guide the implementation of youth programmes.

“The current Constitution of Zimbabwe commits the Government and all its institutions to take reasonable measures and affirmative action programmes to ensure that our youth have access to appropriate education and training.

“So this is very important for us to be engaged and to have this group to map out the way forward for our youths,” she said.