The interface between non-governmental organisations' intervention programmes and rural out-of-school youth entrepreneurship development : a case study in Wedza District Zimbabwe.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the interface between NGOs intervention programmes and rural out-of-school youth entrepreneurship development in Zimbabwe. Three research objectives guided the study. Firstly, the study sought to examine the relationship between NGOs intervention programmes and rural out-of-school youth entrepreneurship development. Secondly, it sought to describe how this relationship happens and thirdly, it aimed at evaluating the impact of the relationship on the rural out-of-school youth. A qualitative research design was adopted for the study. Questionnaires and interviews were the main instruments used for soliciting data from the target population. The questionnaire consisted of both closed and open-ended questions. The study participants comprised of selected rural out-of-school youth in Wedza district, BOOST Fellowship officials and Government officials from the Ministries of Youth Development and Small-to-medium Enterprises. The participants were selected using purposive and stratified sampling methods. The study revealed that resources (human, financial and material), entrepreneurship curriculum, communication and social networks are the major interface components between NGOs intervention programmes and rural out-of-school youth entrepreneurship development in Zimbabwe. The resources (human, financial and material), entrepreneurship curriculum, communication and social networks are the elements of the rural entrepreneurship interface model. It was established that the rural out-of-school youth were motivated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors before and during their engagement with NGOs. It was also established that the interface contributed to the intellectual, moral and economic development of the rural young people. The following recommendations were suggested; enacting policy in support of rural out-of-school youth entrepreneurship development, effective and efficient utilisation of resources towards empowerment of rural out-of-school youth, establishment of rural micro-credit schemes targeting rural out-of-school youth and development of infrastructure facilities.