Comprehensive Youth Engagement in Sustainable Agricultural Enterprises –Roadmap to Poverty Alleviation, Food Security and Employment creation in Africa.

PAZESA Horticultural Community has embarked on building the capacity of youths who are farmers aged between 18 and 35 years to comprehensively engage in viable and sustainable Agricultural Enterprise.

PAZESA trains youths in productive Aquaculture/fish farming, Horticulture and Agri-business.

PROJECT AIM

To incite 500 youths to comprehensively engage in productive Agricultural Enterprise so as to increase food security, reduce poverty and create employment for the youths in rural resource poor areas.

PROJECT INNOVATION AND SCOPE

1. 1.       PAZESA uses viable innovations to train livelihood skills and enterprises and use of ICT for marketing agricultural products. It transfers scientific and high technology innovations to determined youths engaged in agricultural enterprises. Fish farmers are taught how to successfully do Artificial Fish Breeding in a User friendly methodology and by using the locally available materials. The organization has linked up with scientist and technicians of high reputation who train farmers how to use PG (pituitary Glad) to induce artificial breeding in catfish and Tilapia.

1. 2.       Trains youths to use renewable energy (solar) for all year round drip irrigation farming to boost agricultural productivity and mitigate the negative impact of climate change.

1. 3.       Uses the Community based Resource Center and Digital Library to market agricultural products, store agricultural data, conduct monitoring and evaluation and connect rural youths to agricultural experts worldwide.

1. 4.       Promotes commercial production and processing of drought resistant cultivars like Vitamin A rich sweet potatoes and cassava and establishment of community based Agro-processing enterprises.

Two expert scientists, Mr. Mupenda and Mr. Given Kujila, from the National Fisheries Headquarters conducted the training on behalf of PAZESA Horticultural Community and the Global Innovators Network for rural Development in Africa. Shown here are PAZESA staffs and National Fisheries breeding Experts during the 2 days artificial fish breeding Training of Trainers’ Knowledge Exchange event at Chipata Aqua-cultural Research Station.

TRAINING EVALUATION

PAZESA Executive Director, Mr. Paul Phiri (a training participant) was very grateful to the trainers and Government of Zambia for empowering youths with such sustainable practical skills. He said this is a huge step toward reduction of poverty, increasing food security and creating youth employment since the skills learnt are highly rewarding.

Paul Phiri said “Artificial Fish Breeding using the locally available resources is a Road-map to sustainable poverty alleviation and employment creation”. He further urged the trainees to practice and implement the technology so as to emerge as pilots and mentor other youths engaged in agricultural enterprises. He further urged the donor community to support “Comprehensive youth engagement in sustainable agricultural project” through grants. 

Anyone interested to support this project should contact the executive director, Paul Phiri on email: pazesacommunity@gmail.com