In an era where youth unemployment continues to pose a significant challenge, innovative cooperative solutions are emerging as practical and sustainable alternatives. Pharmco, the Pharmaceutical Co-op Society, is one such initiative led by a group of chemical engineering graduates who have chosen cooperation over competition to create meaningful employment. Instead of waiting for scarce job opportunities, these graduates pooled their knowledge, skills, and resources to form a cooperative enterprise that partners directly with state-owned referral hospitals to manufacture essential medicines.

The model is simple but powerful: hospitals often face challenges in sourcing affordable, locally produced medicines, while skilled graduates lack a platform to apply their expertise in chemical processes and pharmaceutical production. Pharmco bridges this gap by producing quality-assured medicines under cooperative ownership, supplying hospitals with much-needed drugs while creating dignified employment for its members. By working hand in hand with government health institutions, Pharmco not only reduces dependency on imported medicines but also strengthens national pharmaceutical capacity and resilience.

This cooperative approach addresses a deeper systemic issue—the chronic underemployment of science and engineering graduates. Each year, universities in Zimbabwe and across Africa produce hundreds of chemical engineers, pharmaceutical scientists, biotechnologists, and industrial chemists who often struggle to find jobs in industries that are underdeveloped or concentrated in the hands of a few large companies. Pharmco demonstrates that, when organized as a cooperative, graduates can design their own employment pathways, leverage their academic training, and reinvest profits back into community health.

Beyond chemical engineers, Pharmco’s cooperative model can be expanded to include other professionals in the medicine manufacturing value chain. Pharmacy graduates, microbiologists, biotechnologists, biomedical engineers, and even supply chain and quality assurance specialists can find a place within this ecosystem. By integrating these diverse skill sets, Pharmco has the potential to grow into a full-fledged cooperative pharmaceutical hub that manages research and development, production, distribution, and regulatory compliance under one roof.

The broader impact of this initiative extends far beyond job creation. By producing locally, Pharmco reduces the outflow of foreign currency used to import medicines, ensures a stable supply of essential drugs to public hospitals, and creates an avenue for innovation in African pharmaceutical research. The cooperative also has the potential to set up training and apprenticeship programs, preparing the next generation of scientists and technicians while continuously building cooperative wealth.

Pharmco is more than just a pharmaceutical enterprise—it is a bold statement that graduates can turn unemployment into an opportunity by embracing cooperation. If replicated in other sectors, this model could transform how African economies absorb and utilize the talent they produce. It redefines employment, turning graduates from job seekers into job creators, and positions cooperative enterprises as the backbone of industrial self-reliance.