6 August 2006
Out of school youth at the Engcobo Municipality in Chris Hani District have
started a tunnel project through funding made available by the Department of
Agriculture. This has been done to encourage unemployed youth to develop an
interest in agriculture as a means of self employment. The project started in
2005 after the Head of Department Advocate Nyondo with officials from the
University of Netherlands visited the Clarkebury High School. The youth made
presentations about the history of the school and their plans for the
schools.
In their presentation they mentioned leaders who had studied there before
and one of them was Dr Nelson Mandela. The officials from the University of the
Netherlands promised to formulate a business plan for an agricultural high
school at Clarkebury. The Department of Agriculture pledged to build
greenhouses also known as tunnels for the project which it did. An amount of
R326 000 has been spent by the Department in starting a hydroponics project, an
irrigation scheme for 25 hectares, a garden for blueberry cultivation and a
nursery revamp.
About 172 youth are involved in the project and the Department is working in
partnership with an implementation agent. The Department has budgeted about one
million rands for other tunnel projects in the areas of Qamata, Ncorha,and
Bilatye because it has seen that green houses are sustainable. According to Mr
Bese, the manager for Department of Agriculture at the Engcobo Municipality,
the Department of Agriculture has stated clearly that unemployed youth, more
especially graduates and matriculants, should be encouraged to consider
agriculture as a livelihood.
Youth in the Chris Hani areas have been invited to come and see the project
when Advocate Nyondo and senior officials will be visiting to see the project
which is a first of its kind in the area. The visit will be held at Clarkebury
on 8 August 2006, starting at 10h00.
Enquiries:
Thando Sonjica
Tel: (040) 609 3965
Cell: 082 774 4768
Fikile
Cell: 082 578 1437
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government
6 August 2006
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)
