Madam Chairperson
The President
Governing Council
Delegates
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for the opportunity to say a few words at this 34th Governing Council. One of the most refreshing statements that I heard at this conference was by Princess Haya Al Hussein of Jordan.

Madam Chairperson, with the massive emphasis our countries put on education in the mid-1980s and 1990s, we realize now that many young people on the African continent have some level of education and yet are unemployable because they are not trained to perform any skills or professional work.

These young people constitute more than 45 percent of the population and are conversant with other skills like mobile phones, texting and a huge number also use the internet even in some remote areas where there is electricity and internet usage.

Therefore, to invest in the youth today in sub-Saharan Africa, several factors have to be looked at; a different outlook should be taken and the technological know-how of these young people should be taken into consideration and draw out a program or plan to improve their lives and give them a certain level of security in food, clothing and shelter since they will be the future leaders.

Today in Ghana, young people between the ages 18 and 35 years form about 70 percent of the population and less than half of them are fully or gainfully employed, so we should be asking ourselves, how do they survive?
How do they eat?

Of the number, about one-third have not only basic education, but also university qualification from universities in Ghana or other countries and yet cannot find any employment, but refuse to go to work in or on a farm or in the agricultural system.

The rural youth is also flocking to the cities for non-existent and unavailable jobs due to what they watch on T.V. and talking to their friends on mobile phones in the cities.

So what do we do?

The old system is not working so we must promote something different. The old system where land was acquired, and some implements were put at their disposal and the young people were dumped there to go and farm is not working. They do not stay. They leave.

This system is not working because there are no incentives, and no modern facilities to make their lives adaptable to the new reality of going back to the land to produce food.

My suggestion is to try an integrated program in developing countries. A program that can be attached to schools in all rural settings: they will have an integrated school farm where food, fish, poultry, livestock and irrigation to support these farms will be part of the curriculum. Special awards should be instituted to the best school in the district.  Apart from the school receiving an award, the best student in agriculture should be awarded a scholarship to further his or her studies in the field of his or her choice. This scheme, I believe, will help to propel and promote the best schools and students based on their agricultural performance.

This will help in feeding students while they learn about the technicalities of agricultural food production. This will also increase food security.

This scheme will only happen if some level of comfort is put at the disposal of the young people who are being asked to engage in rural agriculture and food production. What recreation will be put at their disposal? Do they have internet?

Do they have a place where they can listen to music and dance and be able to do the things that young people do? Do they have different sporting activities to keep them busy?

We must build a relationship between traditional issues and science. Do not push science as a paradigm and forget tradition.

I speak as a president of an NGO for women, which has worked with women and young people for over 28 years on development programs including agriculture, food production and food processing to reduce post harvest losses.

I speak as a woman who sees the plight of the poorest in the rural areas in Ghana – women and children.

I speak as a woman who had the initiative to approach IFAD in the mid-1980s into the late 1990s to help specific towns and villages in small-holder agriculture, and to help them with grants to process what they cannot consume, while improving in their food production by acreage.

I saw the effect that minimal amount had on the communities. IFAD should continue to play this role and try to deal with NGOs that actually have a record of success in project implementation directly, such as my NGO the 31st December Women’s Movement.

My plea again is for IFAD to continue to engage and fully support women’s groups and in that program, incorporate the youth.

It is very crucial for IFAD to help organisations such as mine, and help in the reduction of poverty, while increasing food security.

Thank you.

19 February 2011