Food Security is a major issue in Ghana, along with the rest of West Africa. Many people starve due to lack of
knowledge and ability enabling them to farm their own crops and therefore become self sufficient and therefore, no longer relying
on an income to provide them with their daily meals.
Under this project the students and beneficiary communities are taught how to farm in both small and large scales, so as
they can be able to grow what they eat to minimize the prevalence of hunger in Ghana and Africa as a whole. They are also
alerted on the need of appreciating technology in agriculture to embark on obtaining maximum yield. Their interests are aroused
and enhanced in agricultural work so that they would like to choose agriculture as hobby or profession.
YLF organizes agricultural programmes, excursions to major agricultural institutions and also invite agricultural resource
personnel to give speeches to the children to develop their interest in the modern agricultural systems for sustainable development.
YLF is also actively farming, enabling them to assist in the feeding of the beneficiaries under the Young and Lonely Foundation
since the agricultural produce we harvest under practical work is not sold. It is in the light of sustainable agriculture that the
foundation has acquired a ten-acre land for poultry and cash crop production. This is a basic and paramount programme run by the
Young and Lonely Foundation with the following objectives:
•To broaden the children’s scopes of understanding in the highly efficient utilization of the scientific method of farming
to maximize quality and quantity of farm produce, leaving the environment non-degraded.
•To teach the children principles that lead to knowledge of how agriculture could be practised without degrading the
environment (how to preserve our natural resources whilst cultivating the land for crop and animal production).
•To teach them practical oriented aspects of modern agriculture, practices that help conserve the soil nutrients,
water, flora and fauna amongst other environmental friendly practices (such as organic / ecological farming).
•To create awareness to the children on the need of sustainable agriculture by the help of agricultural technology/
mechanization.
•To help inculcate the habit of can-do mentality in the children so as they could be ready to become self contained
(especially produce their needs through agriculture) in the near future.
The education on the skills of growing what one eats in quantity and quality has been on the increase since the identification
of population growth leading to shortage of food during the hunting and gathering era, calling for a shift from primitive system.
The YLF students are taught various vocations in agriculture, such as grass-cutter and other livestock rearing, mushroom production,
food and cash crop production, processing of agro-produce, etc. to empower them skillfully and vocationally so that those who do
not want any of the vocations as a profession could at least practice them as hobby; serving a lot of functions ranging from
provision of backyard food to income generating.
Young and Lonely Foundation is setting a pace in training future Agricultural Contractors who would be capable of turning
waste land and rented lands into agro industries. These children have the potentials of becoming agricultural extension workers,
technical officers, counselors, directing people in production, processing and storage of crops and livestock and their products.
The organization has developed grass cutter farming for the youth to be engaged in Agro-Business. Also, Agriculture project for
PLHIVs is an effort to integrate PLHIVs in the agricultural project to make sure they are well fed and catered for using this
diversified primary sector of production. Poultry farming is also another area that the organization is projecting its resources
towards to start off this year. About forty square meters of land has been bought to start as soon as possible. This is in line
with the organization’s plans to feed herself and create opportunities in Agric sector.
Partners and volunteers around the world have shown interest in assisting the organization but more resources are needed in order
for the organization to meet its production capacity by the end of the year 2010.
We look forward to soliciting funds to obtain at least 20 acres of land for developing the institution and farming so that one
day in the future YLF will become agriculturally self contained as well as growing and maintaining enough produce to market.
The foundation currently educates the students theoretically and practically using the three-plot plantain farm and
the deep litter system of Dark Cornish Layers on one plot. Plans are in pipeline to obtain official theoretical and practical
centre of examination so as to have products of the agric course being certified after four years of internal training, by
international agric and vocation examination bodies, following the educational system of West Africa.
Snails are reared under the plantains too as non-traditional animals to erase the idea of producing only traditional
crops and animals in these children. This is a conscious effort of the foundation to satisfy its Agriculture and food Security
Programme. The organization has developed grass cutter farming for the kids to be engaged in Agro-Business. Also, Agricultural
project for PLHIVs is an effort to integrate PLHIVs in the agricultural project to make sure they are well fed and catered for
using this diversified primary sector of production. Poultry farming is also another area that the organization is projecting
its resources towards to start off this year. About forty square meters of land has been bought to start as soon as possible.
This is in line with the organization’s plans to feed it and create opportunities in Agric sector.
Partners and volunteers around the world have shown interest in assisting the organization but more resources are needed in
order for the organization to meet its production capacity by the end of the year 2020.
We therefore welcome all agric agencies, experts, volunteers and philanthropist organizations to come and invest in this
agriculture programme so that we as a nation can be self-sufficient in the near future.
Young and Lonely Foundation in partnership with St.Germain School Complex.
The Child, Our Hope for Future.
