Over 500 BBT youths pass out military training

DODOMA: THE first ever batch of about 533 youths who will benefit from phase I of the 1.8 billion US dollars (about 4.5tril/-) Build a Better Tomorrow Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA) have completed a two-month military training at the National Service (JKT)’s Makutupora Camp.

The group will join their colleagues in a total of 688 youths in the BBT-YIA who will start receiving their tittle deeds for their plots as well as being allocated to their new residential areas, ready to kick off the programme in mid-January next year.

Minister for Agriculture made the revelation at the end of the week when he officiated at the passing out of 533 trainees of a BBT special group at 834 National Service (JKT) Makutupora in the country’s capital, Dodoma.

At a colourful passing out ceremony, Mr Bashe noted that after phase I, any young person aspiring to join the BBT-YIA programmes will be required to attend the national service compulsory training.

“We want to have a group of serious persons and I have already directed the Permanent Secretary in the ministry to ensure that the JKT training is made a compulsory requirement for anybody wishing to join the programme,” he noted.

At the end of the week, a group of 533 youths successfully passed out the two-month long JKT training at the army’s Makutupora Camp.

The training was named: Operesheni Miaka 60 ya JKT (Operation 60 Years of the National Service).

In January this year, the Ministry of Agriculture announced a call for grant and soft loan applications for youths and women in agriculture.

According to the BBT-YIA booklet, in the course of eight years, the programme aims to achieve 12,000 profitable enterprises across 12,000 villages in Tanzania.

This is done by training 200,000 youths and engaging 20,000 young people in internship programmes, as well as mentoring and coaching 15,000 youth-led agribusinesses through incubation programmes.

Speaking at the passing out event of the 533 youths who attended a two-month military training, Minister for Agriculture said the group has opened doors for others in the Agriculture sector.

According to him, the first phase of the programme which will kick off in mid-January next year will begin with 688 youths, among them 653 who have already received JKT training.

He said 155 others had asked for permission because of various reasons.

At the event, the Chief of National Service (CNS), Major General Rajabu Mabele, said the first group of 533 trainees had received enough skills that will enable them to implement the government’s efforts to empower youths in the country.