Authorities in Aweil Center County in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State plan to establish eight youth-based farming groups with hopes to boost food production in the area.
Peter Natale, Aweil Centre county commissioner, told Radio Tamazuj that the groups will be formed in all the county’s payams and are meant to benefit all local youth.
“We want to form youth-based farming groups in every payam and this is for the first time in history because everybody (leader) comes with his ideas and we can implement the ideas that support the community. I think this is a good idea because it will reduce the burden of idleness among youth especially local gang networks who will benefit from the farms,” said Natale.
He called for support from the state government and development partners to support such initiatives which will reduce aid dependency.
“If there is an organization like the German International Corporation known as (GIZ) to support our concepts, it is still good and we as the government are going to assist the youth with small things we have,” he added.
Marko Guot Ujieth, a youth in Aweil Centre, welcomed the initiative and said some youth groups have already received training in agriculture from the GIZ.
“Yes, there is such an initiative because the German International Corporation has been training youth farmers for three days now. We are ready and we welcomed it because there is a better benefit in it,” said Guot.
Another inhabitant in Aroyo, Ajok Majok appealed to development partners to offer the youth agricultural tools. “This is very good and we need to be supported with tractors, donkeys, and plows,” he pleaded.