المنتدى العالمي المعني بالأمن الغذائي والتغذية

Thank you for the informative online discussion.

 

Find below my contribution to the current discussion.

 

Regards

 

Veronica Kirogo

Coordinator, Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Project (UPAP)

Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries

Nairobi, Kenya

 

Challenges faced by rural youth aged 15-17 in making a living in agriculture and related activities

 

Kenya is rapidly urbanizing at the rate of 4.4 percent annually and it is estimated that 54 percent of the population will be residing in urban areas by 2030. This is attributed to increasing urban-rural migration as more people from rural areas relocate to urban centres in search of better livelihoods. In most cases, people who migrate are aggressive and enterprising in nature and would be good role models for the youth age 15-17years who are still undertaking their basic education. Therefore one of the key challenges facing the youth is lack of role models of persons who have made a living from rural agriculture. In addition, farming in Kenya is majorly subsistence and majority of the rural youth have grown up seeing their parents and community struggling to make a living and would therefore take up agriculture as a last resort. Infact, in the past cultivating or ploughing was a common punishment given as a disciplinary measure in schools. This has also translated to fewer youth taking up agriculture as a subject in secondary schools since it is not a mandatory subject. Limited access to mechanized agriculture makes it unattractive to the youth as they associate agriculture with toiling and limited or no returns. Lack of skills and productive resources such as land and finances are also key challenge among the youth.

 

How can these challenges be addressed

 

Including agriculture as a life skill option in basic education and delivered in most exciting ways. For example, according to Consumer Insight (2009) 47 percent of youth aged 15-17 in Kenya are computer literate; computer agricultural programmes including games could be developed and this would entice the youth in engaging in agriculture in real life.