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(TALKZIMBABWE, UHURU NEWS) Ujamma Youth Farming Project battles hunger

Ujamma Youth Farming Project battles hunger
Our reporter / Uhuru news
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:42:00 +0000

THE All-African People's Development and Empowerment Project has taken on a project to construct a 50 metres deep borehole (pressurized well) for irrigation of a 25-acre section of farmland of the Ujamma Youth Farming Project (UYFP) in Gweru, Zimbabwe.

For more than ten years, the people of Zimbabwe have endured severe hardship due to hypocritical economic sanctions imposed by the U.S., EU, World Bank, IMF and others in response to the movement of Africans in Zimbabwe to reclaim their land that has been occupied by white settlers whose ancestors stole it at gunpoint during the colonial era.

According to the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) Zimbabwe has an unemployment rate of around 70%, suffers the highest rate of inflation in the world, and has been hard hit by drought and lack of foreign currency for farming initiatives.

Established in June 2005, UYFP is an African youth-led farming cooperative that has secured a 100-acre plot of farmland in the city of Gweru under the Zimbabwe government's land redistribution program.

UYFP's mission is to empower African youth through gainful farming initiatives so that they are able to demonstrate the essential skills necessary to function as life long productive citizens of Zimbabwe's agrarian reforms.

According to Kwanisai Mafa, UYFP Founder and Chairman, "One of our immediate goals is to offer produce to wholesalers and retail outlets in and around Zimbabwe's midland provinces. A longer term goal is to establish a training program so African youth from outside of Zimbabwe and even outside Africa will visit, meet, train, work, and bond with their counterparts on the farm."

AAPDEP needs your help to raise $6,000 to construct the borehole to provide irrigation for this critical project. You can donate online or mail a check/money order for "AAPDEP" to: AAPDEP, P.O. Box 454, Normal, AL 35762.

Zimbabwe Guardian/Uhuru News

Labels: AGRICULTURE, UJAMMA YOUTH FARMING PROJECT, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 10:23 PM