Unifor - Building the Future
Youth agriculture and life skills development in Ethiopia.
More than 85 per cent of the population in Bunda District, Tanzania are engaged in agricultural activities, such as livestock rearing and fishing. Yet as many as 68 per cent of people in this region live below the poverty line. Women work in the fields without earning an income – yields are sold and income is controlled by the men.
Reliance on subsistence farming and limited livelihood options in the area leave households in a perpetual state of risk, with few options and opportunities for change. Consequently, children and youth across Bunda District face a number of challenges affecting their health, wellbeing and general ability to thrive.
The prevalence rate of HIV among those ages 15 to 49 in Bunda District is 8.4 per cent. In Bunda, only 19 per cent of secondary school-aged children are enrolled in secondary school. Many young boys and girls drop out of school to help support their families. Boys end up in jobs that may be high-risk and that leave them underpaid and underemployed. Girls are more severely impacted, contending with a host of issues such as being sold into marriage, early pregnancies and high maternal mortality rates, transactional relationships with migrants, polygamy, female genital mutilation, child sexual abuse and other significant health risks.
The goal of Building the Future is to equip 1,500 female and male youth with strengthened agricultural and life skills so they have the knowledge to critically assess relationships, understand the risks and resources present within their communities, and make informed decisions to ensure their long-term food security, health and general well-being.
Please visit to learn more about this project.