18-year-old Tapiwa joined the Safe Zone in 2007 on its inception as
a diversion to the boredom that characterized his days in Tshovani
Chiredzi, a shanty suburb in South Eastern Zimbabwe.

Having lost both parents at a tender age, Tapiwa decided to fend
for his siblings through irregular migration doing menial jobs in
South Africa.

"The journeys to South Africa were arduous since I walked most
of the way as I did not have money for transport. But what choice
did I have? My siblings needed food on the table and my relatives
had turned their backs on us," said a gloomy faced Tapiwa.

Through a billboard Tapiwa got to know of the Safe Zone. He
became curious about a place that promised fun for him and his
siblings who would for once forget their abject poverty through
participation in edutainment activities.



The establishment of the Safe Zones in Zimbabwe is one of the major
thrust of the Safe Journey Information Campaign Program of IOM. The
town of Chiredzi was selected to be one of the areas for the
implementation of the Safe Zone because of the high number of
youths jumping the border to South Africa or Mozambique.



The Safe Zone activities appealed to his young heart and he was
selected as a peer educator. Though enjoying peer education, Tapiwa
often felt guilty about encouraging his peers to adopt safe
migration when he himself survived through this risky and illegal
route at some point in his life. His worry was soon set to rest
with a monthly stipend that came from being a peer educator.

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"I know what it was like being in a foreign country without the
required documents. I had been harassed as a foreigner. Sometimes I
got less than what I had worked for and later deported but poverty
back home kept me going back for menial jobs. I was relieved when
IOM told me I could get an allowance as a peer educator; at least I
could avoid the stress and hard times in South Africa."

Tapiwa says that his breakthrough finally came in 2010 when
their recommendations for an income generating project were
positively responded to. He enrolled in a welding course.

"There were several options such as carpentry and motor
mechanics but I thought welding was my gateway to quick cash which
I needed badly to feed my family." It was however not an easy road
as Tapiwa later realized. "Some of the courses were theoretical and
I could not manage as I had dropped out of school at primary level.
I thought my dreams were being shattered." Luckily for him the
vocational training centre tailor made the course to suit his
needs.

After eight months of intensive training, Tapiwa graduated with
a practical certificate in welding. Tapiwa received a start up tool
kit to enhance his newly acquired entrepreneurial skill.

"I was so elated. It was like so many doors had been opened for
me. I could get cash almost on daily basis and could support my
siblings. I could save up for a passport and finally work in South
Africa where welding is big business."

Tapiwa is among many youths who have benefited from the IOM Safe
Zone, a youth centre initiative that seeks to empower young people
between the ages of 15 and 24, from disadvantaged communities with
life skills in an effort to reduce irregular migration. The centres
also offer information on safe life programmes such as HIV and AIDS
awareness.

The livelihoods initiative offers young people alternatives back
home and gives them reason to stay in their home country. This
project was made possible with generous support from UKAID.

For more information, please contact Folen Murapa, IOM Harare,
"mailto:fmurapa@iom.int">fmurapa@iom.int