prepared by a professional instructional designer, teachers and lecturers who are pedagogically trained for delivering such programs and the students must be equally exposed to the pedagogy of online learning. The programs mostly affected include sciences, technology and industrial attachment which are the cornerstone to nation development. Although online education can help, these programs require more physical lectures for easy and quality delivery. Dr Kwaira in a Sunday mail article (10 May 2020) concurred saying “It is very difficult for students to begin a new course online, master it well and write an examination. So online education can be used as an accompaniment, to reinforce what has been learnt earlier.” Students are going to take longer than expected to complete their various levels of education thus affecting their future plans and hopes. This overburdens parents in terms of fees. Masters and doctoral research projects have been hampered. Development oriented researches carried out by young people are mainly funded by European countries and the United States of America where the virus has taken center stage. This has and will affect young Zimbabweans as
most of the donor countries are probably going to experience a recessionary cycle. As a result they will prioritize their own university students rather than international research collaborations. Faziz Aziz (2020) of the International Science Council for Africa region reported that “Right now, countries are battling and everyone is thinking about finding solutions to the pandemic. At this point, it’s not looking so good for early career scientists when it comes to funding. Everybody is feeling the pressure.”
themselves are also affected. Consequently, young people’s mental health is of concern. Some youths are already suffering from depression due to the Covid-19 circumstances. The Covid-19 challenged the youth
Personal discovery The pandemic has overwhelming effects, but it is not a complete disaster. It affords young people a chance to reinvent, reflect, rethink and reimagine a new reality through the Examination of Conscience. It is a process of conscious Employment evolution that helps in The pandemic has impacted creating a positive mindset, youth employment both manage thought patterns formal and informal. Given and counter negative energy Zimbabwe’s declining such as anxiety. economy and rising inflation rate, the pandemic Innovations has further worsened Covid-19 has unlocked unemployment through the resilient intellectual capacity lockdown, which started and the exercise of innate on 30 March 2020, a few talents. Joseph Kurebwa, a days after the death of a member of Magis Zimbabwe, young broadcaster, Zororo through his 3 digital printing Makamba. Most young company, Third Axis is doing people are street vendors, a lot through manufacturing and rank marshaling face shields that are needed amongst others. The by frontline health workers informally employed youths and other service providers. cannot afford to be home and not work. Volunteering The Zambian Jesuit On the other hand, most Covid-19 response initiative companies have scaled has seen young people down. Young graduates’ taking the centre stage in chance to find a job is the service of others. In slimmer than before. Zimbabwe, a young lawyer Students who seek and humanitarian, Samantha vacation jobs to sustain Murozoki now feeds over Mukai -Vukani No.77 | July 2020 |
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