The Youth Revolving Funds in alleviating poverty in Zimbabwe: A case of Youth Agenda Trust in Zengeza Suburbs

ABSTRACT

The study investigates the effectiveness of the youth revolving fund in alleviating poverty in

Zimbabwe. This will be brought about through using a case study of the Youth Agenda

Trust’s involvement in Zengeza Suburbs from the period 2007-2014. The researcher made

use of the questionnaires and interviews to collect data. A purposeful sample was used in

choosing the beneficiaries of the youth revolving fund. Interviews were also conducted with

the beneficiaries of the youth revolving fund from Zengeza. The organisation also contributed

on these interviews. The study reveals that there is lack of transparency in issuing these

funds, moreover the youths who would have benefited from the revolving fund are not being

honest enough to return the funds as expected. However, some of these youths have benefited

a lot from these youth revolving funds which has helped eradicate poverty in Zimbabwe. The

study also reveals the indicators of effectiveness which are: percentage of people below the

Total Consumption Poverty Line, Human Poverty Index and employment to population

increase. The study also looks at the numbers of the youths who have been assisted by the

youth revolving fund and the income generating projects that they have engaged in so as to

eradicate poverty amongst the youths.