Good Things · 13 hours ago

New Farming Initiative Turns Youth Unemployment Into Opportunity

Twenty young South Africans-nineteen women and one man living with a disability-are building their own farming businesses from compact, solar-powered units that combine poultry and hydroponic vegetables in Diepsloot. The Green Acres Hydro-Coop programme offers not just skills training but ownership, market access, and mentorship, transforming participants from unemployed youth into entrepreneurs while addressing food insecurity in their communities. "When skills development is combined with long-term mentorship, farming stops being just a chore and becomes a sustainable career," says Marc Lubner of Afrika Tikkun, the organization leading the initiative. One participant, Debra Dagada, has already moved from trainee to independent farmer with her own land-a trajectory the programme hopes to replicate as it expands. For these young people, the harvest isn't just vegetables or chickens; it's dignity and the chance to finally build something of their own.