AfDB launches programme to impart urban farming skills to graduates youth in Mbarara City, Uganda

The African Development Bank (AfDB) in partnership with Africa Agribusiness Incubators Network (AAIN), a private international organization set up to incubate incubators for job and wealth creation in Africa has launched a training programme aimed at imparting urban farming skills to graduate youth in Mbarara City, Uganda.

The programme dubbed Creating Sustainable Youth Micro Small and Medium Enterprises through Urban Farming (SYMUF) was launched at Excel Hort Consult agribusiness incubation hub in Biharwe, Mbarara City.

According to the programme organisers, already 300 graduates have been registered in different enterprises that include, chicken rearing, pigs farming and crop production among others.

“We are not only aiming at creating jobs for the youth and income by the urban farming training programme but also assisting the young people begin, manage and sustainably run a business,” said Professor Alex Ariho, the chief executive officer at AAIN.

This comes at a time there is an influx of the young population in urban areas who come to search for rare job opportunities and as a result of lack of urban farming and business skills, they end up being unable to support themselves.

Addressing cases of crimes and poor living standards

Ariho noted that the programme which is fully sponsored by AfDB is to help addressing challenges that urban centres are facing such as increases cases of crimes and poor living standards.

“Young graduates are always attracted to urban centres due to perceived sources of employment which are scarce therefore in absence of proper planning for them, our towns and cities may turn into dens of crimes and other indecent activities detrimental to the young people,” said Ariho.

However, through successful business incubation in urban farming the youth coming to the urban areas may be able to create job opportunities for themselves and assist others too, he added.

Professor Samson James Opolot, the Vice-Chancellor at Ibanda University says cities remain attraction for the unemployed youth but without proper plan by all the stakeholders to address the problem.

“It is necessary that the programme is targeting graduates who have the education but just lack the needful skills to start agribusiness projects that will help them create lucrative ventures for themselves instead of waiting for the illusive job opportunities,” said Opolot.

Free marketing stalls

There will be free stalls for unemployed youth after the training to help them market their produce, according to Simon Mwijuka, Mbarara City Traders Association chairperson.

“Definitely after the training the beneficiaries will start ventures such as poultry keeping, vegetable farming and even get into different value addition opportunities hence the free stalls that I will ensure is reserved for them will help them reach customers,’ said Mwijuka.

According to Prof Ariho, the first cohort of trainees in the city and surrounding areas targets over 1,000 youth but should there be more funding, the training will span throughout the country.

The trainees with no seed capital to actualize their ideas will be connected to financial institutions for assistance.