2009 Project - Young Farmers Scouts of Timor Leste
For 2009, Two Villages will be raising funds to help the ongoing work of the "Young Farmers Scouts" of Timor Leste - Helping young people grow their agricultural and leadership skills, while assisting their community.
USC Canada has established a "Young Farmers Scouts" movement in Timor Leste, a tiny and very poor country off the North West coast of Australia, where more than eight out of ten people earn their living through small-scale farming. To many of the young people of Timor, farming is not always valued. Many of these young people are eager to leave their small villages and move to the capital city, where sadly there are few jobs.
The "Young Farmers Scouts" goal is to help young people acquire the agricultural and leadership skills they need build their local communities. In the six rural villages in where these scouts are established, young people are being trained in sustainable farming techniques and are working together to restore their deforested and eroded lands.
The Young Farmer Scouts are now building hillside terraces to stop erosion and restore soil fertility. With the help their parents and grandparents, and our agricultural field staff, they are learning to prepare the ground for growing vegetables and popular staples like maize, peanuts, and cassava.
Thanks to the Scouts movement, many young people are now playing a leadership role in their communities. They are helping to bring their own family farms back to life and are lending helping hands to the residents of neighbouring villages.
About Timor Leste:
Timor Leste, Asia's newest country and one of its poorest, takes up half of a small island 400 miles off the North West coast of Australia. It became an independent country in 2003 after 20 years of violent struggle. Rebuilding the country after so much violence and bloodshed remains a huge challenge.
The average annual income in Timor Leste is only $500 US, and food security is still a major concern for the majority of its citizens. A predominately rural country, more than eight out of ten people earn their living through small-scale farming.
Additional Downloadable Infomation
Young Farmer Scouts - Timor Leste
