In 2014 construction of a Skills centre was started at Zvavahera to cater for youths in the community, as a place where they can be equipped with technical skills and empowered to earn a decent livelihood, this project is still under way. The Skills centre is an empowerment project that will be a model used by other Baptist centres country wide Training will be provided in the following areas:
- Welding - Train youths in welding skills so that they are able to undertake small scale welding projects in rural areas including welding art which can be sold to tourists as an income generating activity.
- Sewing - to teach people to make school uniforms, track suits for children, garments for women and men.
- Weaving - Introduce weaving as a unique skill using wooden looms that can easily be replicated in rural areas. Women and youths should be able to weave scarfs, rugs, table mats, bags, and other household items from woven fabrics. The weaving class uses ordinary wool, selvage off cuts from industry and other waste materials as part of recycling.
- Carpentry - Woodwork and carpentry skills are popular among rural people. Once they have acquired the skills they are able to make household products and sell some of the household items in order to sustain themselves.
- Organic farming is important as it uses organic manure which is easily available. This aspect of the training includes classes in Nutrition, Sustainable Agriculture, Food processing and Preservation to ensure food security all year round. In the future the project will also install a Green Houses in the area for organic farming.
- Rearing of small livestock such as rabbits and goats is a skill that ensures supply of first-class protein from the meat and milk. In addition, villagers are taught how to process the skins for sale, cheese and butter making with goat’s milk as well as selling the goats themselves to neighbors.
- Peanut butter making is crucial as this is a food source rich in protein.
The construction of the Skills centre has required many resources to date, and for this reason other projects have been operating alongside it to make the centre self-sufficient. Some of the activities that have been initiated by the church included organizing members especially women and the youths to run a Vegetable Garden project, a Fish farming Project and a Goat project. These projects have also helped to alleviate poverty and currently there are plans to start a sewing project as an income generating project to raise funds for construction.
