The Mubende District Youth Camp is an annual event that offers as many as 500 attendees from throughout the district the opportunity to come together and learn about the development programs available to them. The key areas of focus at the camp will be agriculture, leadership, and health. The camp is held in a different district sub-county every year. This year, it’s taking place in Kasambya Sub-County at Das Primary School.

Participants in the three-day camp will include district and sub-county youth council members; youth model farmers; in-school and out-of-school youth; private sector actors engaged in agriculture; Business, Technical, Vocational, Educational, and Training (BTVET) organizations; and other skills development service providers. Most participants will be 10 to 35 years of age; the majority will be 18 or older. On Wednesday the 24^th and Thursday the 25^th, activities will begin at 8:30 am and end at 5:00 pm for non-residents. Camp residents will engage in two hour night sessions focused on social life from 7-9:00 pm. Friday, the camp’s closing day, is also Youth Celebration day. Activities will begin at 10:00 am, when the guest of honor will arrive.

As one of the largest districts in Uganda – in terms of area – Mubende has severe challenges in reaching young women and men with development programs. The Youth Camp, developed by the district youth council, makes an important contribution to effectively addressing those challenges. Activities during this year’s camp will reflect the theme: “Empowering Youth through Agribusiness.” The three key topics will be agriculture, leadership, and health-related fields. Throughout the three-day camp, the youth attendees will engage in community service and training sessions in leadership, agriculture technologies, and financial literacy. Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) clinics will be a central component of the camp. Peer-to-peer support, training and mentorship, and interaction with private sector players from various youth enterprises in the district will also be important parts of the gathering.

The goal of the camp is to highlight development programs available to youth and inform them about career opportunities for young women and men in Uganda’s agriculture industry, specifically in Mubende district. The event is expected to attract participants from 21 sub-counties in Mubende. The camp will also increase awareness of the Feed the Future Uganda Youth Leadership in Agriculture Activity, a five-year initiative made possible by the support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Activity supports Ugandan partners with youth in the lead to identify sustainable, inclusive, cost effective development models that position youth –  especially female youth – as leaders, entrepreneurs, farmers, and employees within the agricultural sector.

During the month of August, Feed the Future Uganda Youth Leadership for Agriculture Activity is supporting The 6th Annual National Youth Festival (Aug. 20, Makerere University, Kampala), and AgriKool-Youth (Aug. 30, Police Primary School, Gulu). AgriKool-Youth is an all-day event, organized and managed by youth, which will highlight the wealth of career opportunities available to young women and men in Uganda’s agriculture industry. This event specifically targets agriculture career advancement for youth between the ages of 10 and 35 years.