The United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government have launched the Oropune Leaf Initiative, aimed at strengthening community agriculture, youth engagement, and food security.
The project also forms part of wider efforts to build resilience and reduce vulnerability in at-risk communities through sustainable development partnerships.
At the launch of the Oropune Leaf Initiative, aimed at strengthening community agriculture, youth engagement, and food security, UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Sharifa Ali-Abdullah highlighted the importance of youth engagement and community participation in shaping the success of development projects.
She said young people in Oropune Gardens are already showing strong signs of ownership, noting their early interest and hands-on involvement in agricultural activities under the project.
The programme also focuses on hydroponics, small livestock rearing, and skills training as part of efforts to strengthen local livelihoods.
“I heard many positive things about this project. I heard about the hydroponic systems, I heard about the poultry and the rabbits, I heard about entrepreneurship, food production and skills training, but that’s not what stayed with me. What stayed with me was a simple observation: that young people came early. They came before the session started. They came because they wanted to check on the plants. They came because they wanted to see the animals. They came because they were excited. And honestly, that may be perhaps the most important success indicator, or what we call the KPI of this project.”
Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen praised the activity and said it reflects a strong model of community-led development.
She emphasised the importance of keeping young people engaged in productive activities, warning that lack of opportunity can lead to negative influences.
“We have to continue to keep these young people together. Because of the nature of our community, we have to keep our young people together and out of the devil’s hands. Because the devil is busy. But good people and godly people have to be more busy than the devil. So I commend Ms. Sharifa Ali Abdullah for happening to land in Oropune Gardens. I commend Mr. Greenidge for holding the fort. I commend the Village Council and all the other NGOs who might be present today. And I want to tell you that we have to continue to be resilient for the sake of our little ones.”
Minister Ameen said the Oropune Leaf Initiative demonstrates how targeted community projects can deliver multiple benefits, including food security, youth empowerment, and crime reduction.
She added that the model should be expanded to other communities as part of broader national development efforts.
“The idea of getting young people involved, of dealing with agriculture and the ability to feed ourselves, and reducing crime—you’re getting several wins in one. So we’re dealing with young people, food production, crime, everything in one. So it’s something I would really look forward to, just seeing how this story is progressing successfully so that we could support similar ventures in different parts of the constituency, in schools and with other NGOs.”
The Oropune Leaf Initiative is expected to continue rolling out in phases, with UNDP and government partners signalling plans to expand similar programmes in other communities nationwide.