A couple of days ago, I had the privilege of attending Restless Development’s 40^th anniversary celebration at the residence of the UK Ambassador to Zimbabwe.  I am very grateful to Ambassador Pete Vowles and his incredible team for the multiple invitations that I have received to his residence. Each invitation offers me an opportunity to witness and celebrate the United Kingdom’s partnership-driven commitment to supporting Zimbabwe’s development journey.

The Restless Development event was both heart-warming and enlightening. I learnt, for instance, that the organisation became one of Zimbabwe’s development partners just a few years after independence, a powerful reminder of its longstanding role in nurturing young people in this country. The event was attended by young people who have made impressive strides in business, leadership and other fields.  Their achievements are truly inspiring. By way of example, Gladmore Muchenje – one of the young people I had a conversation with – was a Top 25 participant in the 2021 Value Creation Challenge, organised by Old Mutual in partnership with the British Council Zimbabwe.   His agritech and fintech online food market, Imani Universe, is bringing much-needed relief to local farmers by enabling them to reach buyers without using middlemen or traditional markets.

It was also inspiring to hear the congratulatory messages from the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Honourable Tinoda Machakaire; the Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Honourable Angeline Gata; the Ford Foundation Regional Director for East Africa, Margaret Mliwa, and the UK Ambassador to Zimbabwe. The Restless Development international leaders also took to the podium, speaking with unmistakable conviction about the power that young people have to transform our societies.

The event prompted several reflections, including that:

Young people’s challenges are not unique to Zimbabwe; they are global. Acknowledging a challenge is the first step towards solving it. Young people in Zimbabwe are facing challenges, particularly as regards access to jobs and financing for their entrepreneurial ideas. However, as emerged from the event, Zimbabwean young people are not alone; young people across the world are confronting similar challenges. This acknowledgement of the realities faced by young people is a step toward addressing them. It was heartwarming to learn that the Government of Zimbabwe and its development partners, such as UK in Zimbabwe and Restless Development, are already helping young people to access life-transforming opportunities.

The world has faith in young people to solve its challenges today, not tomorrow. We grew up hearing that ‘young people are the leaders of tomorrow,’ a phrase that suggests they must be empowered today so they can solve the world’s challenges tomorrow. However, from the messages articulated by the speakers and the conversations I had with fellow guests, especially the young people, it is clear that this notion is shifting. The world no longer waits for young people to lead tomorrow; it has faith in their ability to confront and solve global challenges today! Restless Development places young people at the forefront of development.  The UK Ambassador, in his opening remarks, emphasised that empowering young people enables them to become the job creators, innovators and solution builders of today. Likewise, in her solidarity remarks, the Ford Foundation Regional Director for East Africa, Margaret Mliwa, emphasised how empowering young people is essential to solving the challenges that the world faces today. She highlighted that 52% of her grant-making at the Ford Foundation goes directly to young people. “Africa of now is for the young people”,  she said, a statement that resonates strongly with all of us, given the unprecedented growth of the young people population across the continent.  The Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, spoke in a similar vein, emphasising that young people are key to the development of Zimbabwe and should, like every Zimbabwean, be active participants in the country’s development agenda.

Partnership is key to the successful development of any nation. There is a saying in my local language, Shona: Rume rimwe harikombe churu, loosely put, ‘one man cannot surround an anthill.’ This underscores the significance of collaboration in fostering development. The presence of key figures from the Government of Zimbabwe, the Ford Foundation and other development partners at Restless Development’s 40^th Anniversary celebration, as well as the British Embassy’s decision to host the event, clearly demonstrates what an organisation, a country, and indeed the world can achieve through collective action.

The Restless Development 40^th Anniversary celebration affirmed a truth that is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore: young people are not waiting for the future; they are shaping the present. The success stories shared, echoed by the speakers and amplified by the voices of young people themselves, stand as a testament to what is possible when young people are trusted, supported and equipped to confront their own challenges and those facing the world at large. Equally inspiring was the reminder that development does not take place in isolation; it thrives through partnership, shared purpose and the conviction that when we work together, we can achieve far more than any single institution or country could accomplish alone.