Youth Agri-Focus Scheme

In this Program, we sensitize the young people on how to get rid of poverty through practicing agriculture and livestock grazing.

Economic empowerment in Agriculture involves the provision of all the necessary financial support to enable individuals and businesses excel in agriculture.

Cherish Aid Youth Agri-focus scheme

Introduction

Uganda has one of the youngest
populations in the world with 78% of the population below the age of 30. About
23% of the population is between 18 and 30 years. 64% of the unemployed persons
in Uganda are youth.

Acknowledging viable employment and
income earning opportunities remains a critical challenge that youth face,
there is potential for the agriculture sector through promotion of a culture of
innovative entrepreneurship among Ugandan youth to increase employment.  Cherish
Aid Foundation aims at contributing towards changing the attitudes/mind-set
among rural youth and communities to perceive agriculture as a viable business
option. Cherish Aid foundation developed a Strategy for Youth Employment in
Agriculture, with support from Waka Tours. The priority intervention areas of
the strategy are:

1. Strengthen the enabling environment for youth
   employment,
2. Improve youth education and learning,
3. Support youth oriented agriculture extension,
4. Promote and support youth agricultural entrepreneurs as
   an incentive for job creation and income generation;
5. To enhance youth adaptation and resilience to climate
   related agribusiness risks and uncertainties.

Below are specific activities under
each of the above priority intervention areas:

Objective 1: Strengthen the enabling
environment for youth employment

1. To Strengthen the policy and legal framework that
   address issues of Youth Development
2. To enhance land access and control by the Youth
   (Land Fund, Sensitization on access and control);
3. To Increase access to financing youth agriculture
   services
4. To increase access and use of  ICT for youth
   agriculture;
5. Support the youth to access agricultural machinery

Objective 2: Support towards Youth
Oriented Agriculture Extension

1. Review and adapt guidelines on integration of gender,
   youth and vulnerable groups into extension services;
2. Promote youth involvement through capacity building and
   linkage to service providers. Identify and assess the unique youth
   technology and capacity needs.

Objective 3: Improve Youth education
and learning

1. Support Peer farming education system (Agric. Clubs);
   
   1. Support education institutions to organize Youth
      agricultural clubs and camps;
   2. Support National agricultural competitions for the
      youth to facilitate peer learning;
   3. Promote practical school farming systems, farmer field
      schools.
2. To promote vocational training.

Objective 4: Support Youth
enterprise and entrepreneurship

Promote and support youth
agricultural entrepreneurs as an incentive for job creation and income
generation

1. Support the Profiling, showcasing and rewarding of
   successful youth entrepreneurs

Objective 5: Adaptation to and
mitigation of agribusiness risks and uncertainties

To enhance youth’s adaptation and
resilience to climate related agribusiness risks and uncertainties

1. Support development and promote uptake of best
   practices, innovations and technologies relevant to addressing
   agribusiness risks and uncertainties, Smart Agriculture;
2. To enhance occupational health and safety among the
   youth.

Key interventions of CHERISH AID
FOUNDATION:

• Capacity building for the youth including vocational
  training institutions, and incubation centers;
• Encourage usage of family land and sensitization of the
  family leaders and elders to allow youth access to land;
• Buying, hiring and putting public or redundant land to
  use;
• Linking Youth programmes to the financial institutions;
• Encouraging ICT in agriculture;
• Enhancing and strengthening the extension services.