An international organisation is training youths on various farming practices to provide alternative job opportunities besides the white collar jobs in Homa Bay.
There has been influx of youths who migrate from rural to urban centres to look for while collar jobs, a situation that leaves the burden of food production on the elderly in villages.
However, Practical Action is providing intervention with an aim of reversing the trend.
The organisation has already trained 4,000 youths in the county on farming.
The youths have been trained on poultry farming, horticulture, cereals and other crops which mature fast.
The purpose of the training is to ensure the youths are empowered at their villages to enable them become job creators.
During the training, the youths are taught farming techniques such as crop rotation, pest control, prevention of post-harvest losses, fertiliser application and financial management.
The training takes six months. During that time, the youth also grow various crops and rear livestock in their individual farms.
A total of 52 youthful farmers graduated from the training at Yimbo trading centre in Homa Bay Town constituency.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony at Imbo market on Friday, Practical Action senior project officer in charge of agro-ecology Naman Nyabinda said the project is aimed at enhancing food security in the county.
Nyabinda said they decided to undertake the project after realising that many youths were shunning agriculture for white collar jobs in urban areas.
He expressed concern that the trend may culminate in serious food shortage since the youth have more energy for agricultural production that the elderly.
Nyabinda argued that engagement of the youth in crop and livestock production will boost food security in the country.
“The youth are the people with energy for producing food. Their engagement in food production will enhance food production in the area.”
The youth who benefitted from the training said the skills had empowered them.
Wilson Alela, a farmer from Lambwe in Suba North constituency said the skills had enabled him to boost his project of chicken rearing.
“Today I supply hotels in Homa Bay with chicken due to the training I received,” Alela said.
Simbi Winnie, a farmer from Kasipul constituency said she realised that agriculture is the main source of wealth.
“For the short time I have done peanut production, it has enabled me to undertake a project I could not imagine in my life,” she said.
