Teenagers learn to value organic cultivation again

Vocational Skill on Sustainable Agriculture: a response to the food insecurity of vulnerable children

In drought stricken areas of Swaziland, people lost their hope that agriculture can feed them. This project shows vulnerable children and teenagers - most of them lost their parents due to AIDS - through successful local farmers that agriculture is still a viable strategy to survive. Local farmers who adopted organic crop cultivation share their knowledge with the youths. At the same time, COSPE makes sure that the beneficiaries get access to land and that adults respect their rights.
This project is extraordinary because it allows farmers who adjusted their way of farming to climatic changes and towards a sustainable agriculture to share their knowledge and pass it on to a young generation. Thus local knowledge will be maintained and farmers feel proud to be needed in this project.On the other hand, the project is extraordinary because it propagates the cultivation of staples and drought resistant crops (such as sorghum) as opposed to the production of vegetables that are fully dependent on irrigation.

Project site

Mafucula, Lubombo (Map)

Beneficiaries

About 20 young people from around Mafucula, most of them are orphaned.

Project costs and assistance by sahee

The entire project costs are CHF 45’000.–, whereas sahee takes over CHF 16’500.–.

CHF 16'500 contribution towards this project. sahee is in regular contact with COSPE and actively supports the involvement and empowerment of all beneficiaries both, for the project and for the documentation of the progress of the project.

Duration of assistance

1st of August 2010 to 31st of July 2010

Local counterpart

COSPE

PDF-Download

Cospe - Vocational skills 2010_08.pdf