Young people between the ages 16 to 30 years old form a major part of Namibia's rural population and development initiatives for this age category have been realised, with special focus on those residing in the far remote areas, to curb the rural-urban migration. The Government of the Republic of Namibia (GRN), through the Technical Co-operation Programme (TCP) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), launched a new programme called Rural Youth Clubs of Namibia (RYCN), as an outreach for the Rural Youth Development Programme.
This programme has been designed and tested as a unique methodology for reaching large numbers of young people, living in even the most isolated rural villages of Namibia, with leadership development and organisational skills as well as non-formal education and training in agriculture and related areas. It has been successfully demonstrated that the new RYCN is an effective delivery mechanism enabling rural young people, primarily those who are out of school, to gain basic knowledge, skills and experiences in agriculture, nutrition, health, environment and other essential skills for living. Education and training involves practical, activity-based learning and income-generating activities. By taking this training approach to even the most remote villages, large numbers of our youth should be empowered into making economically rewarding and satisfying lives for themselves and their families in rural Namibia.
This manual is designed as a field handbook and guideline document for rural youth club leaders to enable them to employ coping strategies in nutritional activities taking into account the prevailing economic patterns in their respective communities. It was developed through participatory and experiential approaches involving the rural young people in selected communities in northern Namibia, a process that involved collaboration with other line ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
The production of this Handbook is indeed a milestone in our efforts towards meeting development components of the Namibia Development Plan 2 (NDP2) objectives. I am confident that it will remain a relevant and useful guiding document at field level in food and nutritional matters among the rural communities.
Hon. Nahas
Angula
Minister of Higher Education,
Training and Employment
Creation
