Hi. I am

Takavinya Yolanda Munyengwa

From Zimbabwe

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From Exclusion to Enterprise: A Young Woman with a Disability Building Opportunities for Others

Growing up in Mbare, a high-density suburb of Harare, I experienced discrimination from an early age because of my short stature. Many people believed my disability was contagious, and some parents prevented their children from playing with me. Those experiences left me feeling isolated and excluded from opportunities that many young people take for granted.

My educational journey was equally challenging. Frequent school transfers due to financial hardship, inaccessible learning environments, and discrimination interrupted my education and affected my academic performance. After completing my secondary education, I spent a year at home with no clear pathway forward.

Rather than giving up, I began volunteering with community organisations, where I learned how to produce detergents and petroleum jelly. I turned these skills into a small business, but with limited equipment, little business knowledge, and significant family responsibilities. This negatively impacted my business, generating only minimal profits, and I struggled to grow.

Joining the African Youth Panel (AYP) marked a turning point.

Through AYP’s mentorship, financial literacy training, Participatory Action Research, networking opportunities, and the Go Deep community engagement programme, I gained the confidence and practical skills to transform my business. I learned how to manage finances, calculate profits, develop business plans, understand market demand, and reinvest strategically. Using my AYP stipend, I purchased equipment that improved production efficiency and enabled me to expand my range of household cleaning products.

AYP also changed the way I viewed entrepreneurship. By learning to identify community needs through participatory research, I began developing products that respond to local demand while building a more sustainable business.

Today, my enterprise has grown as I now create income-generating opportunities for five young people in my community, including two young people with disabilities. They support production, packaging, and exhibitions, gaining valuable work experience and income while I continue working towards creating permanent employment opportunities.

Beyond economic impact, the programme strengthened my leadership, resilience, and long-term vision. I have moved from operating a small survival business to managing a structured enterprise with clear growth plans and a stronger understanding of financial sustainability.

Today, I am still running and growing my detergents business. My journey has not been easy, but it has taught me resilience, responsibility, and the importance of using the opportunities and resources available to me as a young woman with a disability.