United Nations Association of Uganda (UNAU) together with the over 25 youth-based organizations visited Kawumu Presidential Demonstration Farm situated in Luwero district on 18th February 2021. This was under the Youth Coalitions for SDGs under the guidance of H.E Rosa Malango. The President of Uganda had extended the invitation to the Youth Coalition for SDGs during a meeting of SDGs at State House Entebbe on 10th February 2021. The purpose was for the youths to learn from his demonstration farm about commercial agriculture on small acres of land for the generation of wealth.
Kawumu Presidential Demonstration Farm located in Luwero district was commissioned in November 2016 by H.E the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. With primary objective, of promoting the 4-acre farming model teaching farmers to adopt good farming innovativeness. Through this model, an acre is dedicated to coffee; another for fruits; the third acre for family food growing, and the fourth acre to grass (pasture) farming for zero-grazing dairy cows. The approximately 21 acres has 10 acres is dedicated to agriculture, comprising of; fishing, vegetables, passion fruit, chicken rearing, coffee, mangoes, dairy farming, pineapple, pasture/grass planting, mushroom and matooke/banana plantation. “You can’t talk about achieving the SDGs without talking about the youth.” Said H.E Rosa Malango. For the youth to achieve the SDGs, they need to be skilled, exposed to different opportunities and networks. This visit was therefore one of the ways through which young people are to share knowledge and experiences in agriculture.
The Coalition members were accompanied by different UN Officials; H.E. Rosa Malango (UN Resident Coordinator), Ms. Elsie Attafuah, United Nations Development Plan (UNDP) Representative in Uganda; Dr. Antonio Querido, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Uganda; Mr. Deus Tirwakinda, UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) Support to Agricultural Revitalization & Transformation (START) Facility Manager; Mr. Victor Ochen, UN Global Ambassador for Peace and Executive Director African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET); Mr. Apollo Ssegawa Executive Director, Consortium For Enhancing Universities Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD); Mr. Samuel Otim Rizzo, Chief of Party Avsi and Mr. Martin Akampurira, Director for Youth JB International.
