By Grace Ademulegun
The youth empowerment project, Mind Impact for Motivation Initiative (MIMI), has taken its agricultural training program to secondary schools in Oyo State.
Speaking at a recent empowerment event in Ibadan, the project coordinator, Kemi Oshiyemi-Cole, emphasised the value of teaching pupils about agriculture to encourage self-sufficiency, boost food security, and skill development.
She pointed out that this kind of education enables the students to tackle the larger problems of poverty and food insecurity in their communities, in addition to giving them the necessary skills for independence.
“When a student is fed, several families are fed,” she said, adding that “we indirectly feed thousands of families in each local government by providing students with seeds to plant.”
The goal of MIMI’s program, which targets secondary school students, is to direct young minds’ energy and flexibility towards agricultural techniques.
According to her, students learn how to cultivate their own food using resources like surrounding fields or cutting-edge techniques like balcony and sack farming.
Related Posts
“Our goal is to change students’ perceptions of agriculture as a sustainable way to be self-sufficient. We make sure they learn skills that will help them and their families financially by raising awareness and getting them hands-on,” said Oshiyemi-Cole
The coordinator explained that, in addition to agriculture, the program teaches students how to earn money in such areas as online and graphic design, wig and soap making, makeup artistry, pastry and cake making, event décor, and Ankara crafts.
NatureNews notes that MIMI sponsors tournaments among secondary schools within local governments to promote involvement and maintain momentum, and it offers incentives, prizes, and recognition.
Additionally, she said the initiative gives students seeds to get their agricultural endeavours off the ground and offers ongoing support and monitoring to guarantee success.
Oshiyemi-Cole highlighted the initiative’s long-term effects, pointing out that every kid trained is a home that can fight food insecurity.
“Our vision integrates economic independence, food security, and self-sufficiency,” she stated, adding that the initiative aims to create a resilient community tomorrow by empowering students today”, she said.
With intentions to reach all local governments in Oyo State, MIMI’s project is already gathering steam with stakeholders anticipating that the organization’s efforts to raise a generation of knowledgeable, talented young people will leave a long-lasting legacy of sustainability and empowerment in the area.
