Determinants of Youth Empowerment Projects Success or Failure in Zimbabwe: A Case of Kurera Ukondla Youth Fund Harare 2011-2016

Abstract

This research study focused on the determinants of youth empowerment projects’ success or failure in Zimbabwe focusing on the Kurera/Ukondla youth found in Harare between 2011 and 2016. Major objectives of the study were to unpack the level of participation of youths in the Kurera/Ukondla youth found as well as assess its successes and failures. The study adopted a mixed research methodology and used questionnaires as well as interviews to gather information from participants. The sample size of the study became 113 of randomly selected participants. Participants were selected from the members of the beneficiaries of the fund and the youth who applied but failed to benefit from the fund. More so potential beneficiaries as well as administrators of the fund (Central African Buiding Society and the Ministry of Youth). From the findings, it emerged that only a few of the participants noted success from the fund. The majority of the respondents concurred that the youth fund was not at all effective. With respect to procedure used for the selection of the beneficiaries, fromthe analysis, it emerged that it was not a transparent one, and the fact that this project was politicized meant that the level of partisanship and impartiality was high. The following challenges were noted from the Kurera/Ukondla youth fund implementers’ side – poor planning, poor selection criteria, poor stakeholder engagement, poor monitoring and evaluation, poor corporate governance as well as lack of accountability and responsibility. These made project less successful. From the beneficiaries’ side, challenges which made the fund less successful were noted as follows lack of innovation, poor budgeting, poor project planning, poor project execution, poor expenditure management, poor risk management, lack of management experience, lack of proper qualifications and lack of accountability and responsibility.