Italy launches vocational institute in Koboko

By Taddeo Bwambale

The agricultural sector employs about 80% of Uganda’s population but contributes less than 20% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Much of this is attributed to the low level of productivity arising from subsistence production model, characterised by low yield and low investment in technology.

A partnership between an Italian multinational organisation, the Uganda government and the Italian embassy is seeking to change the practice with the launch of a new agricultural and vocational institute.

Jabara Agricultural and Vocational Institute Koboko (JAVIK) will be launched today (Friday) at the JAVIK Campus in Lobule Sub County, Koboko District. The institute started in 2009 as an agricultural demonstration and multiplication centre overseen by Associazione Centro Aiuti Volontari (ACAV), in collaboration with Koboko district and the local community.

The idea of upgrading the faicility into an institute was initially conceived in 2013 after a learning and exposure visit to Italy by local leaders from Koboko, and enriched further by another visit in 2017 by political and technical leaders from West Nile.

Its establishment was with the initial funding from the Italian Cooperation along with a decade of continued support from the Autonomous Province of Trento (PAT) right from its beginning to date.

Italy’s Ambassador to Uganda, Domenico Fornara, says the project will improve the local economic development to refugee hosting areas to boost wealth creation for refugees and host communities.

“Agriculture is the best tool to integrate refugees into communities and allow them to be self-reliant and independent. The west Nile region has huge potential,” he said in an interview with New Vision.

“Unlike other parts of Uganda, its borders are naturally open. There are no mountains or big lakes separating the borders. In peaceful times, trade is prosperous.” Fornara says the centre will help increase productivity and enable farmers to have higher negotiating power with buyers through agricultural vocational training and organized smallholder farming.

The project targeted 750 Congolese refugees and 1,500 host community farmers and was co-fi nanced by UNHCR, ACAV and Koboko District. [asset_library_tag 21d8e190-92da-44fa-83cf-e483a14ef5eb,CLICK HERE] FOR MORE ON THIS SUPPLEMENT