THE MINISTER FOR YOUTH AND SPORTS
HONOURABLE PARVEEN KUMAR BALA

Monday 26th October, 2020 at 3:00PM

• Master of Ceremony
• Turaga na Tuinamakubu,
• Village elders,
• Turaga ni Koro,
• Youth members,
• Provincial Administrator Lomaiviti,
• My Ministry staff,
• Ladies and Gentlemen ,

Bula Vinaka and a very goodafternoon to you all,

I am delighted to be here with you all to officially handover the assistance under the Youth Farm Initiative to the youth club here with us today particularly the Nasaumatua Youth Club.

At the outset, I wish to thank the village elders for a kind welcome ceremony and would like to say vinaka-vakalevu!

Today I am very pleased to handover to these well-deserved youths; farming tools such as spades, forks, a greenhouse and seedlings just to name a few. This will all add value to what you are already doing with your farms.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to urge our youths to learn new skills and continue to upgrade yourselves because that is what is required in these changing times. I would also like to acknowledge the landowners, they play a vital role in providing consent to these youth clubs to utilise the land for farming.

The materials and seedlings that I will handover today will assist these youths involved in farming for family food security, improve livelihood in the community, create employment opportunities, improve the youth and community bond, and most importantly it will deter the youths from engaging in unlawful activities and of course serve as a source of income.

My Ministry is happy to be part of your community development. I wish to encourage all young Fijians to take a pro-active approach in dealing with any of your current circumstances---especially during this pandemic.

Since the Ministry of Youth and Sports launched these youth farm projects three months ago, we have seen huge success throughout the country. This process has involved the utilization of vacant land in rural areas for families. Our youths are realizing the value of the land, rivers and sea as the foundation for their lives and therefore be used as an income generator for our youths to meet their needs.

Above all, this has also been a success through the active participation of our youth groups. The Fijian Government has given them the confidence in the roll-out of grants for their initiatives in their local area. My ministry wishes to encourage youth clubs to utilise unused land for agricultural purposes.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to extend my appreciation and acknowledgement of other stakeholders who have provided seedlings to help these youths as well.

We have a Youth Officer, who is stationed at our Levuka office, where major focus is to identify and support youth needs and create awareness regarding the ministry’s programs and activities .So please, do visit them.

Finally Ladies and Gentlemen,before I conclude, at this juncture I would like to relay news to you that the my ministry next month will have an opening for youth clubs to apply for income generating projects.So I .urge you all to start thinking about some innovative projects that will assist your youth clubs, your communities and families.

So with those few words now , I launch the Nasaumatua Youth Club Farming Project.

Thank and Vinaka-vakalevu!