GITEGA April 2nd (ABP) – The rural entrepreneurship development program (PRODER) organized, Wednesday March 27, in the capital of Gitega province (central Burundi), a launch and information workshop on the activities of the said program towards the various stakeholders in that program in the Gitega, Karusi and Muramvya provinces, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
The advisor to the governor of Gitega in charge of Development, Mr. Serges Sabukunze, warmly thanked the government of Burundi which, in collaboration with IFAD, set up PRODER which will support young rural unemployed people. He will initiate the administration when targeting beneficiaries and will indicate to each commune the time to allocate in order to take it into account when planning the PTBA.
The coordinator of the PRODER program, Mr. Côme Ntiranyibagira, indicated that the said program will support the agro-pastoral businesses of rural youth in order to help them develop those businesses to contribute to the implementation of the 2040-2060 vision.
According to the monitoring-evaluation manager within PRODER, Mr. Joseph Gahungu, that program will be executed in 12 provinces of the country for a period of 7 years, with an amount of 89,399,000 USD. At least 39,000 jobs for young people and 7,840 micro and small businesses will be created, he said. For M. Gahungu, the choice of those 12 provinces took into account the poverty index; the level of vulnerability to food and nutritional insecurity and the effects of climate change; favourable conditions for the installation and integration of young people; the potential for rural development and the possibilities for the intensification of agrosylvopastoral and fishing activities; possibilities for extending IFAD intervention to cover provinces or municipalities not sufficiently covered in order to optimize the impact of IFAD interventions on the targets; etc.
Members of the youth council at the provincial and municipal level warmly welcomed that program which aims to support young people who are often unemployed. However, those young people indicated that they were not satisfied with their place as members in provincial and communal committees even though the program is dedicated to young people.
The national coordinator of that program, Mr. Côme Ntiranyibagira, pointed out that even on the boards of directors, the members of a given company are fewer, considering that the provincial and communal committees are well organized. He also clarified that young people who have been funded by the Youth Economic Empowerment and Employment Program (PAEEJ) or other projects can still benefit from PRODER funding if they wish to carry out activities that demonstrate interests. and can give jobs to other young people.