Youths urged to utilise land for agricultural projects

MVUMA — Youths should use land availed to them productively by carrying out various
agricultural activities that will see Midlands province contribute significantly to the food
basket of the country.
This was said by the president of the Apex Council for Youth and Agriculture in Zimbabwe
and director of 4-H Organisation John Muchenje at a Business and Farmers workshop in
Mvuma recently.
Muchenje urged youths to come up with sustainable projects since Zimbabwe is an agro-
based nation.
He said youths need to develop groups and consortiums so that they can collectively fight to
achieve mainstream economic projects.
We as the 4-H Zimbabwe Foundation have established school gardens in various parts of
Zimbabwe aiming at imparting agricultural business skills to school children under the theme
– Learn by Doing, said Muchenje.
4-H Zimbabwe has also established nutritious community gardens in the marginalised and
less privilleged areas including Hwahwa Prisons where inmates get agricultural knowledge
and skills to ensure food security.
4-H Zimbabwe in partnership with well-wishers has established a community garden at Jairos
Jiri institution in Mvuma to benefit people living with disabilities.I urge all youths to join the projects being established by different agriculture based
organisations so that they will be able to learn to utilise the land and be equipped with
knowledge on how to use land for their benefit,” he said.
The 4-H Zimbabwe president also encouraged farmers to incorporate youths in their
respective areas and teach them agricultural projects citing that the empowerment of youths
reduces cases of drug abuse and early child marriages as youths will have something that will
keep them occupied.
In an interview with The Times, owners of Dominance International Incorporated a
consultancy company, Regges Mubaya and Timothy Chimedza said their agenda is to
empower youths with skills and knowledge on various businesses but most importantly on
farming and agricultural projects.
Our doors are open and we wish to work with youths and different organisations so that
youths in Zimbabwe can be uplifted and empowered to help the government reach the upper
middle income economy by 2030,said Mubaya.

Chimedza said there is also need for local youths to establish business group structures in
order to ensure that business concerns are addressed and that they may have a facility for
business proposal creation, project funding among other issues.
One of the youths at the workshop Tatenda Maraidze appreciated the efforts being made by
the organisers saying the workshop had helped her attain education and confidence to engage
in agricultural projects.

I am happy with what these organizations are doing for us as youths because we have been
encouraged to take advantage of our land and do productive agricultural projects that will
empower us for the benefit of our future, she said.

Organizations that attended the workshop included Mupakazvinake Farmers Group, Business
Connect, Echelon Trust Youth Empowerment Organization as well as farmers and youths
from around Mvuma.