Gulu University Partners with AVSI Foundation to Equip Students in Horticulture

Gulu University has partnered with AVSI foundation to Train students with horticulture production and management skills.

In the first training phase, over 50 students were trained to grow oyster mushrooms using low-cost technology.

The training is one of the mutual benefits of the partnership between Gulu University and AVSI foundation.

The training is under a project called ‘Skilling Agriprenuership for Increased Youth Employment (SAY) funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands.

The horticulture production training will enable youth to increase income opportunities in the agri-business sector by starting up their own agri-projects.

Otim Fred, one of the trainers from the department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment said they used a grass thatched hut as an incubation room for the mushroom so that the student would be able to appreciate and find it easy to do with a clear demonstration of cost-effectiveness not just in theory but in real practice.

“This is meant for rural settings and within a month mushrooms would be ready to be taken to the market and we are pleased that this project accepts students from all the faculties provided they are interested in hands-on skilling training initiative,” Otim said.

Gulu University and AVSI foundation will train over 200 youths and equip them with hands-on skills in horticulture production and management, agro-processing, bee-keeping, business and entrepreneurship, and life and soft skills among others.

The training is designed in phase manners between one to two months where youth who started a month ago is set to graduate with their products before another group is taken.

The project will train over 16,000 youth aged 18-30 to enable them create employment opportunities in the agricultural sector.