Gudie Leisure Farm interests youth in agripreneurship

GULU– A total of 102 youth from Gulu city and Gulu district have completed a six-weeks training in agripreneurship organised by Gudie Leisure Farm [GLF].

The youth during the training were able to learn how to produce feeds for animals, fish, and poultry, farm manure, and liquid soap among others.

Jane Angom, the district agent for Gudie Leisure Farm said the training also was meant to encourage the youth to take advantage of the agricultural value chain so that they enter into the money economy.

“We expect the youth upon return from the incubation to form parish groups so that they can also train their colleagues who did not undergo the training which happens in Kampala,” Angom said.

According to Angom, the youth have also been prepared to take advantage of the Parish Development Model [PDM] to supply farmers who are in the white meat sector.

Osborn Ogenrwot, the Chairperson of Gulu Youth Agripreneurship said, having attained the training from the programme, they hope to transform themselves from subsistence to income-generating activities to improve their livelihoods.

Ogenrwot said that whereas most of them [youth] have challenges of capital, through the training, they have been taught to use the available resources to produce materials that can generate income.

“One can make manure from droppings of animals including cows, goats, chicken among others which are very common in our community. We can then sell them to our farmers and we can use the money earned as capital to invest in other ventures,” Ogenrwot said.

Ogenrwot says they now have a target as the youths from Gulu to reach out to their colleagues especially those who have dropped out of schools in the rural areas and redundant to interest them in agriculture.

Sarah Lakica, one of the youth who benefited from the incubation programme, said she is now able to make bar soap, shampoo, and shower gels among others, which she sells.

Lakica said that after finishing her O’level, her parents could not afford to send her to continue with her studies. However, she is now using part of the money she earns from her business to pay fees for her siblings.

“I used to struggle to buy my personal needs but today because I earn some money from my products, I am able to do so. I used to be lazy but that has been changed because I see that if I work hard, I can improve my life,” Lakica said.

Gudies Leisure Farm is active in the districts of Gulu, Dokolo, Arua, Nwoya, Amolatar as well as Gulu city, which are part of the 27 districts in the country where they operate.

https://thecooperator.news/over-110000-youth-acquire-agri-business-skills/

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