On Thursday November 17, 2022, at IPRC Kigali Stadium, Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Gerardine Mukeshimana, officiated a graduation ceremony for 356 members of the youth who completed Agribusiness short courses conducted through the Rural Youth Employment Support (R-YES) project.

R-YES is a five-year project (2020-2024) funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project aims at building technical know-how and entrepreneurial capacities of rural youth in agribusiness to create skilled workforce for gainful wage employment or creation of their own agriculture-based businesses.

Minister Mukeshimana thanked the youth graduates for having chosen the best areas of technical training because agriculture and food related businesses remain among the most needed for the country’s economic and welfare development.

R-YES organises short training courses (3 to 6 months) to provide youth with knowledge and technical skills for gainful wage employment or creation of own agribusinesses (products or services) related to Dairy, Poultry, Piggery, Potatoes, Maize, Rice, and Vegetables (Tomatoes, Onions, Cabbage, Carrots, Chilli, Green pepper, and French beans). 

R-YES is implemented by a consortium led by Kilimo Trust, Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF), and Rwanda Polytechnic (RP)- with Integrated Polytechnic Regional Colleges (IPRCs) as training centers for R-YES project beneficiaries. 

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