Young men from the Northern Division are being given a chance to build a better future through a three-year training programme at the Tutu Rural Training Centre.
The Kevin Young Farmers course is designed for youths aged between 18 and 24 from Cakaudrove and parts of Bua and Macuata, where yaqona farming is a major source of income for many families.
Speaking to fijivillage News, the Training Officer, Sisilia Yalewanirabe says the heart of the programme is focused on developing the person first before teaching practical skills.
Yalewanirabe says classes from Monday to Tuesday focus on Human Development, helping participants better understand who they are, where they come from and where they are heading in life.
She says the aim is to help them become responsible young men who are free, self-reliant, in charge of their own lives and able to care for others.
Yalewanirabe says the youths also take part in Management classes on Wednesdays, while Thursdays focus on Marian Spirituality, which includes lessons on ecological awareness and caring for the environment.
In addition she says on Fridays they focused on practical work, where participants are trained to work for their weekly food rations, teaching them the value of hard work and independence.
During their first year, the young men also begin establishing their farms and take part in volunteer work within the training centre.
Yalewanirabe adds that in their second and third years, participants are grouped and introduced to skills such as cabinet making, lumber work and small machine maintenance.
She says the programme is designed to equip young men with practical skills, strong values and the confidence to support themselves and their communities.
Tutu Rural Training Centre has been recognised by Government and rural communities for its long standing commitment to youth development, sustainable agriculture and community empowerment, many young people who have gone through the programme at Tutu Rural Training Centre have been able to build their own homes and improve their standard of living.
The programme has helped equip youths with practical farming, life and business skills, allowing them to earn a stable income and become self-reliant.
Former participants have gone on to support their families, invest in their future and become positive role models in their communities, showing the lasting impact of the programme on youth development in the North.
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