Creating Opportunities for Youth in Agriculture

Amidst the rising youth unemployment in Uganda, evidence reveals that youth engagement in agriculture is declining. This is due to a number of factors including but not limited to; insufficient access to knowledge, information and education; limited access to land; inadequate access to financial services, limited access to markets and limited involvement in policy dialogue.
If this trend continues, it is likely to have negative implications on food security and employment, thereby undermining government efforts to drive economic growth through agriculture. In response to youth unemployment, Community Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI) has designed and implemented Community Empowerment and Sustainable Livelihood Project in Rakai and Kyotera Districts, southern Uganda where we support the youth and their associations to engage in productive agriculture as well as get involved in youth policy formulation processes and dialogues at different levels.
In this publication we share our experiences in addressing the bottlenecks that hinder youth effective engagement in agriculture. You will learn about our approach and also read a number of testimonies from the youths on how their lives have been transformed. It is my pleasure to introduce to you once again to another CIDI youth publication, we hope you will enjoy the massage.

Yours truly,
Dr. Fulgencio Jjuuko
Executive Director CIDI