Skilling Youth

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

Maendeleo ya Jamii (MYJ) is a non-profit organization that engages multiple stakeholders on a long-term basis to assist communities in the protection and promotion of the interests and priorities they themselves have identified and defined as their own. The stakeholders routinely engaged in these long-term efforts include central government, local government, community representatives, and development partners.

Through this long-term work, a number of associations have been established, including AGODA (the Albertine Graben Oil and Gas Districts Association) and community associations such as CED (Community Empowerment for Development, operating in Buliisa district) and HOGACA (Hoima Oil and Gas Community Association, operating in Hoima district and Kikuube district).

For more than a decade, local economic development has featured among the top priorities identified by communities that MYJ has engaged, both in research studies conducted by MYJ and throughout hundreds of multi stakeholder engagements facilitated by MYJ. The definitions of local economic development as a community priority have varied across time, location, and context, but local economic development has remained among the top priorities.

As the community priority of local economic development was further explored during multi stakeholder engagements, MYJ spent several years actively supporting community associations in identifying and accessing skills development opportunities that would improve livelihoods. The skills development opportunities sought by communities have so far focused primarily on Agribusiness as most community members have been involved in farming activities.

In January 2022, with support from Enabel, MYJ entered into partnership with AGODA, BuZARDI (Bulindi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute), CED, and HOGACA. Through this partnership, 100 youth were selected by communities within the constituencies of CED and HOGACA, to enrol in Agribusiness training conducted by BuZARDI.

On behalf of the partners who collaborated to implement the 2022 project titled, “Skilling Youth for Jobs in Agribusiness”, MYJ wishes to express and share the joy and satisfaction of announcing the graduation of trainees in the fields of apiculture, aquaculture, and horticulture at BuZARDI on Tuesday, 31 May 2022.

MYJ congratulates the graduating youth who appreciated the agribusiness training opportunities availed to them, and worked hard to complete the training, and promised to share their newly acquired agribusiness skills and knowledge with others in their communities.

The impact of previous agribusiness training opportunities that MYJ has availed to community associations has been lasting and impressive, spreading beyond the lives of those who received training. MYJ will continue supporting community associations in their growth and development, and in seeking new opportunities for their members.

Maendeleo ya Jamii (MYJ) thanks Enabel, the funding partner, for making the Skilling Youth for Jobs in Agribusiness project possible. MYJ also thanks the implementing partners who worked hard and collaborated to make the Skilling Youth for Jobs in Agribusiness project a success.