The Motivated and Entrepreneurial Youth (MEY) Project plays a crucial role in building life skills and changing individual behaviours in youths.  The in-school youth have embraced life skills brought through the MEY project and can now identify their capabilities through training in the junior star club.

Mupangayi secondary school is one of the MEY project’s 15 schools in the Shurugwi District. The club members at Mupangayi secondary are very grateful to the MEY project as they have been enlightened through club training in health, motivation and entrepreneurship. The students also testified that the club teaches them good manners and to be responsible individuals in life. The club is under the mentoring of two patrons, Mr S Makusha and Mrs T Mubayiwa. The patrons are very much dedicated to the success of the junior star club.

Mupangayi secondary junior star club now has a successful enterprise of mobile tuckshop buying and selling assorted products which range from maputi, stationery, jiggies and sweets. The club enterprise was enhanced with the seed grant of US$150 received from the schools’ competitions. This has taught club members practical things from entrepreneurship and motivation training: “they can go for their dreams and make everything possible.”

The club enterprise managed to inspire the club members to embark on enterprises. Four members now have individual enterprises of buying and selling sweets, and others have started horticultural gardens back home. The club members have been equipped with skills in basic business management. Never Mariro a club member, pointed out, “The club training has helped learners to become confident to engage in enterprises, I managed to buy myself school uniform and stationery from my small enterprise of buying and selling sweets.”

The club has managed to assist less privileged members from the club enterprise’s proceeds. The club bought a full uniform set for Letwin Manenge, a form 4 club member. “I am very appreciative to the club for they have assisted me with school uniform and also the training has boosted my self-esteem and confidence,” said Letwin. Through the training, she has become a good public speaker.

The school Head Mr Nyoni said, “the club is very helpful as club members have improved discipline and most Prefect’s body members were selected from the junior star club”. He pointed out that “the junior star club has been an essential tool at the school in instilling good behaviours amongst the members and as a school, we can now easily select school prefects from the disciplined members.”

Mupangayi secondary school junior star club members are very thankful to Hand in Hand for the MEY project as they have been moulded to have high self-esteem and confidence. The training has also enhanced members’ ability to relate well with their teachers, and business skills have been imparted, enabling the members to earn a living after finishing school.