33 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Philippi have received agricultural training certificates, after completing the City of Cape Town’s Agri-Planner training programme.
The programme was made possible through the Mayoral Urban Regeneration Programme project fund and is aimed at training young people from informal settlements in and around the Philippi farm precinct in vegetable and plant production.
The project began on the 16 March 2020 but due to the national lockdown Alert Level 5, it could only restart in June during Alert Level 4 when agriculture and fishing businesses were allowed to trade.
The programme has been designed to gear youngsters with entrepreneurial skills so that they can become self-sustainable aand learn how to solve problems.
The training includes
1) Knowledge and skills required to run garden or farm operations innovatively, profitably and sustainably
2) An understanding of garden or farming skills and practice
3) Farming skills that could essentially improve household income
4) The skills to network and strengthen entrepreneurial opportunities
“This project not only sets the benchmark for developing urban farming in all our 24 sub councils but gives us the knowledge and understanding of what our communities desire, which is a sustainable income, improving the livelihoods of communities and contributing to alleviating unemployment,” said Alderman Grant Twigg, mayoral committee member for urban management.
