Bahi farming club sells shares

Speaking to the United Nations Youth forum visiting the Club, Chairman Jonas Anyelwise said they have already developed a plan to sell shares. The UN youth forum was here to observe different activities being undertaken by the club. 'We have developed a plan to sell shares. And we have started this campaign in secondary schools.

We want to convince as many people as we can to love farming.” He said one stock is being sold at 7,000/- He said the club which started by doing farming on vegetables, now they have turned to pawpaw with every member owning one acre of the said plants. He said they intend to use 100 acres for the programme, of which each acre will have 1,000 seedlings producing 100 fruits per tree with expectations of getting 15 million per year by selling pawpaw at 150/- each.

'We have a ready market; we will make soap using pawpaw; we will extract pawpaw oil also we will create other products as there are many,” he said. He said the aim of the project is to eradicate poverty to 1000 people in Dodoma by 2020. Giving the background to the programme, the Patron of the group Antony Damiano, who is also the Secretary to the Teachers Commission Services Bahi District, said when they started they were 300 graduates but later 200 decided to leave the place.

He thanked the former president Jakaya Kikwete for enabling them to have a well with a depth of 134 metres and the World Food Programme (FAO) for sending a pump and generator. He said both institutions were eager to help youth realise their dreams in agriculture.

The farm at Mkakatika village was given by Bahi District Council after the youth decided to establish a club to foresee their interests. On his part, the Technical Manager of Employment for the Youth at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Annamarie Naga, said they are working on making sure that young people do contribute to their well- being by engaging in fruitful business such as agrobusiness.

SOURCE: DAILY NEWS

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