FUTURE FARMERS PROGRAM - SMALLHOLDERS FOUNDATION pptx

THE PROBLEM:
About 20% of Nigerian young people are unemployed. Incidentally, agriculture provides
an enormous opportunity for young people to become self-employed as quickly as
possible. Unfortunately, young Nigerians in-school and out-of-school are not adequately
trained to see agriculture as a profitable venture for income generation and for self-
employment purposes. They lack the entrepreneurial and technical skills, practical
agricultural techniques and knowledge to successfully create modern, small/medium
scale commercial agricultural enterprises.
Unfortunately, lack of employment opportunities for youth in Nigeria has led to youth
restiveness, armed robbery, kidnapping, rural – urban migration and drug peddling. This is
a very dangerous trend for the future leaders of the country.
THE SOLUTION:
The Future Farmers Program tackles youth unemployment by empowering young
Nigerians especially girls with practical, valuable and lifetime, agricultural, environmental
management, financial education and entrepreneurship skills through the establishment
of modern community or school crops, fruit trees and livestock garden which they entirely
own and manage. Through this approach young people are empowered to sell the garden
products, place the money in a Saving Bank Account and use the profit to grant
themselves micro-loans to establish similar gardens at home, eventually becoming self-
employed.
THE IMPACT:
• Unemployed youths aged 18 - 35 years old acquires practical agricultural, environmental and entrepreneurship
skills and becomes self-employed,
• Youths successfully establishes crop, fruit trees and livestock gardens and micro enterprises at home, earns income
and supports their parents, • Young people, takes-up and advances studies and careers in agriculture,
environmental management and entrepreneurship,
• Girls , increases their decision making ability, as such the independently decide what time to get married, what
career or business they should do and what course to study in university,
• Girls, takes the lead in making changes in their homes, their community and organizes themselves to take action on
issues of girl empowerment,

• Empowered young people fully participate in the decision-making process in their communities.
THE SUSTAINABILITY:
“Community or School Garden Fund” is established through a Savings Bank Account to ensure project sustainability
and inputs sustenance. This account is the operating fund for all community or school gardens. Signatories to this
bank account are normally, for community gardens:
• 3 officials of the Community Young Farmers Club which is established after the establishment of every community
garden. For school gardens:
• 2 students from junior and senior classes, School Young Farmers Club which is established after the establishment
of every school garden, the school principal and 1 teacher.
Generally, 50% of the garden profit is deposited in the “Community or School Garden Fund”, to ensure continued
ability to purchase inputs and supplies, to maintain the irrigation system; purchase livestock feed, maintain the
fencing, and pay for associated products marketing and other related costs. 50% is placed in a “Special Imprest
Account” to offer micro credit loans to all the trained youths and students targeting girls, at the first instance to
establish similar gardens in their own homes and become self-employed.
NO. 1 UMUGAKWO - UMUOBA ROAD, OFF MCC - URATTA ROAD,
P.O BOX 3508, OWERRI, IMO STATE, NIGERIA.
TELEPHONE: +2348060292346.
EMAIL:
WEBSITE: WWW.SMALLHOLDERSFOUNDATION.ORG
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT