About Us

NYDT is a youth focused organization whose lifetime commitment is to ensure that young people in Zimbabwe transform and re-invent themselves to exert influence by taking charge of their destiny. This it has done by creating alternative platforms for youths to express themselves through activities such as Policy dialogue meetings, High School Public Speaking Competitions, Youth Economic Indabas and Youth Parliamentary Dialogue meetings. This is also clearly defined in part 2.4.1 of NYDT’s strategic planning document of 2007-2010 which defines the NYDT mandate as being to:
“ To create a platform for young people in Zimbabwe to find their “voice” through interaction and participation in various activities that aim to equip them for the challenges that confront their daily lives, be it social, economic and political.”
NYDT was formed in 2003 by four concerned young academics who felt that there was little room for free expression and fewer sources of information for young people and students on issues related to their development and hence came together to create a platform through which youths could establish a stake in the process of nation-building. The aim was ensure that youths from all walks of life in Zimbabwe are able to enjoy their rights with responsibility and their privileges with obligations. These platforms have had a wider focus covering issues to do with HIV/AIDS, Leadership, Business, Gender, Governance, and Human Rights, with the optimism that, this way, youths can reach a higher level of influence.
As NYDT we believe that the environment in Zimbabwe is an opportunity for transformational change and growth.
The Mission of NYDT
NYDT is a registered Zimbabwean Civic Sector Organisation committed to having influence by developing sustainable leadership qualities in young people for their effective contribution to education, the economy, politics, health & agriculture to enhance the quality of their and the country’s well-being.
The Vision of NYDT
At NYDT, our vision is of an organization that inspires young people to be in full control of the destiny of Zimbabwe.
NYDT objectives
1 To provide youths with a practical understanding of democratic principles and practices so as to relate to electoral representation at local, central and international government levels.

2 To provide a non partisan and apolitical forum for effective youth exchange and participation in local problem identification and community action with social justice, cultural integration and public good as the inherent goal. This will include young people and adults working together to achieve common good on social and economic issues.

3 Engage in effective and practical HIV/AIDS prevention, behavioural change and eradication campaigns, lectures, workshops, seminars in schools, colleges, universities and in communities as a formula for creating an HIV/AIDS free generation and creating reliable and effective HIV/AIDS internment and mitigatory policy structures.

4 Foster a culture of UBUNTU so as to cultivate the identification of self in relation to others (I am because you are and because we are) and self-determination in influencing change of behaviour as a tool of averting gender imbalance; HIV/AIDS instigated deaths, poverty and the abuse of youths for economic and political gain.

5 To establish a comprehensive entrepreneurial support strategy to assists the youths in starting and managing their enterprises. These we hope can be developed into big national assets, providing employment and contributing to the national GDP.

Key Achievements
NYDT has for the past seven years created alternative platforms for both school going and out of school youths to express themselves.
Through High School Public Speaking Competitions, school going youths have been given a unique opportunity to discuss pertinent issues in a manner they are used to. Since 2008 some of the public speaking contests are held in Ndebele, a mother language for most citizens in the southern parts of Zimbabwe. This was a great step in achieving the goal of having as many people as possible obtain an education on their own terms because it allowed students to interpret topics such as the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) in their mother tongue and in relation to the challenges they presently encounter.
Through the Local Youth Councils initiative, the organization has created elevated platforms for the youths to engage local authorities and/or policy-makers on issues that are of concern to them. These platforms have also maintained effective youth participation in local government policy-making and local developmental issues. The ultimate objective has been pull youths out of the traditional realm of political abuse to one of meaningful contribution to local development. The Local Youth Councils are made up of elected ward youth Councillors.
Through Youth Policy Dialogue Meetings, which are meetings where young people from various socio-economic and political backgrounds converge to deliberate on issues of national importance, the organization has ensured the active participation of young people on the broader national agenda such as electoral processes and policy debates. These platforms are meant to enhance youth participation in policy making processes in Zimbabwe
Youth Economic Indabas have gone a long way in helping youths understand the national budgeting processes as well as critiquing the government’s economic priority patterns on youth programmes.
Youth Parliamentary Dialogue meetings have provided a platform for an interface between Legislators (Parliamentarians) in a bid to improve youth participation in parliamentary affairs through increased awareness on the legislative process. They are founded on the background that there has been limited youth and civil society participation in parliamentary processes resulting from a lack of understanding of the role and functions of Parliament. The platforms have had the effect of launching NYDT’s presence at a national scale and set the foundation for the NYDT National Youth Convention.
The National Young People’s Convention is the highest programmes and projects brainstorming organ of the organization. It provides an annual platform for young people from all over the country to meet, interact and contribute to NYDT programming and also to reflect and review the impact of NYDT’s programmes. It is also an integral part of NYDT activities where members elect their convention representatives for the next two years and formulate strategies of operation for the next twelve months. The convention representatives are meant to be the link between the organization and young people during programme implementation. They provide a check on whether the organization is still pursuing its mandate from a youth’s perspective.
Institutional governance structure and project personnel
The governance structure of NYDT is composed of the Board of trustees which is a policy making body, the executive management committee which is a committee of the board and is in charge of the day to day management of the organization, the young people’s convention which is a platform for young people to input into NYDT’s programming and the secretariat which is the implementation arm of the organization and is composed of youths and students