The Shurugwi Rural, Business, Social and Cultural Development Centre (SRSCC) will early this year begin construction on a new state-of –the art computer laboratory and small-holder farmers academic and entrepreneurship training centre.

This is part of an effort to strengthen the self-help education offered to students at Chachacha business centre in the mining town of Shurugwi.

This project is the brainchild of Dr Frank Mbengo. “It is basically a rescue programme for people in the rural areas. It’s crucial for school dropouts because they can’t go to colleges and have nothing to survive on. Our aim is to give them computer literacy and entrepreneurial skills,”

The intended new facility will provide a valuable learning experience for youths, who often engage in social ills such as drug abuse, prostitution and other juvenile delinquencies – mainly due to boredom and peer pressure.

Mbengo is an academic who hails from Mbengo Village in Shurugwi. During the liberation struggle, he was the United Nation Educational, Scientific Organisation (UNESCO)’s Education Advisor for various African Countries and Liberation Movements for Southern Africa. He is also a Professor in Development Studies and Political International Relations Studies.

An optimistic social and development visionary, Mbengo said construction of this project would enable them to maximize the limited space available on their site to provide the best possible entrepreneurship training institution.

“We have experienced professionals who are roaming around doing nothing yet they are technically equipped and have expertise in different aspects of technology and professionalising welding , carpentry and farming just to mention a few,” said Mbengo.

“The idea here is to fight backwardness, to fight poverty and diseases, hence the need for us to construct the multi-purpose hall where transmissions and reception of development ideas will be effected. Indeed it would be the epicentre of community economic transformation.”

The facility will cost approximately US$360 000 to construct. Preliminary work is expected to begin in May 2016, with anticipated completion before 2017.