Integrating Sports with Agribusiness for Youth Development

Project Title: Fusing Sports (Football) with Rabbit and Bee Commercial Farming for Youth Development and Wealth Creation in Murang'a South.

Introduction

The problem of youth unemployment have sharply increased in Kenya. Study indicates the employment is at staggering 40%. Equally important, absolute poverty records at above 50%.  Notably, youths in Kenya is with the lest of Africa are viewed with sceptism and in such important matters as economics they are put in the periphery. On top of sidelining and neglecting the youth on national development matters, the system has gone ahead to kill the only the youth should own; Sports. In Kenya politics has undeveloped every field activity in the name of sports. The two aspects combined has had some very devastating consequences for the youth man in Kenya and especially in the Central Province where I have resided for better life of my life. In my area young boys as young as 15 years are heavy alcohol drinkers. Note this is a school going age whose talents gets eroded by flow of alcohol and eminent threat of HIV in the drinking dens. Notably, these young men are there because they are idle as a result of lack of other creative recreational activities.

Project

I and my friend have a small rabbit farm in Kangari village, Maragua (former Murang'a South) District. We also sponsor an upcoming football club in the same community. We intend to introduce the young footballers to start keeping rabbits. Therefore, we will sell the rabbits to them at a cost lower than the market value. We will follow up on each individual to assist them better manage the rabbits. Notably, rabbits have a relatively low cost of rearing compared to other animals like livestock and chickens. On the flipside, they have higher returns to invest and they take relatively short time to mature. Moreover, the rabbits are the final products themselves, therefore once a rabbit matures it gains monetary value.  

Therefore, we can assist the boys realize their talents in sports whilst becoming responsible at younger age. This will ensure that the youth participate in constructive personal and national development because as of now rabbit population stands at approximately 0.6 million compared to a national population of about 40 million with more than half at constant threat of starvation. Study shows that in ratio a rabbit has 6 times meat output with regard to its production cost compared to other farm animals. Therefore, it is a current as well as futures stable source of food and especially proteins.

After successful implementation of the rabbit project, we intend to to introduce bee farming which is also very cheap to run and manage. This is because, after initial capital of a beehive which is about Ksh. 3000, the rest is just harvesting for as long as the hive is there. Therefore, this project will not exert a lot of financial pressure on the unemployed youth and it will not take up any of their study time.

Market

This is however the most tricky part on the side of the boys, however, in the case of the rabbits we will be buying the rabbits at market competitive prices from the young farmers and finding the market ourselves. Therefore, we lift the market hassle from the youths.

Notably, the young team comprises of 16 boys aged between 15- 20 years for the start.