Harare (New Ziana)-Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry on Friday applauded Zimbabwean youths for designing some home grown innovations in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) organised an exhibition of the innovations in the capital.

Innovations on display included automated temperature testing and disinfecting devices, sanitizers, liquid soaps and face masks.

Zimbabwe has to date recorded 51 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 18 recoveries and 4 deaths.

“We have hope in such innovations which are home grown and sustainable,” said Coventry.

Turning to the ZWL$17 million, Youth Relief Fund which the government established to assist youths in mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on their businesses, Coventry said the first batch which opened on April 24 and closed on the May 4, saw 5 268 applications being received.

Of these, 1 159 were successful, representing 21 percent, and beneficiaries would soon start receiving the funds.

Coventry commended the ZYC for partnering with the young people in searching for lasting solutions to challenges facing the country.

“Indeed, the future is in the young people. Let us continue identifying home grown solutions and of course, with more research we will be able to improve on the innovations,” she said.
New Ziana