Burkina Faso/OCADES Caritas Dédougou: 50 young people trained as farmers

OCADES Caritas Dédougou organized the closing ceremony of the training session for 50 young people in the agricultural farming profession on Friday, October 29, 2021. The exit ceremony took place at the Alfred-Diban Centre in Moundasso, in the Mouhoun province.

After six months of training as an agricultural farmer, 50 young people, including 40 men and ten women, received their Basic Qualification Certificates (BQC) on Friday, October 29, 2021. The training took place in the intervention area of the Integrated Development Program (IDP) of OCADES Caritas Burkina, in Dédougou.

Indeed, the IDP, in collaboration with the Center for Study and Research in Development and Logistics Purchase (CERDAL), a training center for rural youth created by the diocese of Dédougou, organized this vocational training session in the profession of agricultural farmer, for the benefit of 50 young people. These young people come from ten villages of the Mouhoun province. Financed by the NGO Chrétiens pour le Sahel (CPS), the training was carried out by CERDAL.

During these six months, the 50 young beneficiaries learned the contours and techniques related to the trade, through twelve modules. These include setting up a farm, vegetable production, maintenance of equipment and draught oxen, and running a local chicken farm. The future agricultural entrepreneurs also learned about managing an agro-sylvo-pastoral farm, entrepreneurship, job search techniques and securing land in rural areas.

The 50 young rural people will be supported in their installation through the provision of equipment: ploughs, wheelbarrows, boots, gloves, spades, etc. Each young person has benefited from the development of a business plan and the opening of a bank account.

According to the executive secretary of OCADES/Dédougou, Father André Toé, this training is part of the support that OCADES provides to the population. "We want, through the projects and programs that we carry out in the field, to provide Burkina Faso and our region in particular with enough skills, especially in the agricultural field. That is why we started with the CQB," he explained.

For the Bishop of Dédougou, Monsignor Prosper Bonaventure Ky, this training was of paramount importance, because the young rural people did not only learn the know-how but they also learned how to be together. According to him, the goal is not only an individual development of young people, but also a social development that will allow the whole society to rise. "I am very happy that each of them leaves with his parchment and a minimum of equipment to be able to settle and produce. I encourage them to be models in their communities," the bishop said.

As for the delegate of the outgoing class, Macaire Bako, happy to receive his parchment, he thanked the project leaders for the opportunity offered to them. He promised to put into practice the knowledge acquired during these six months of learning. "We hope that with the support of our generous donors, we will be able to set up farms and in turn spread the knowledge in our respective areas," he said.
In addition to the material offered to each young person, the five best were rewarded.

Source: lefaso.net