"I want to make my desire concrete, eating what I cultivate, sustaining Ghana, and - who knows - perhaps Africa, via my agricultural production, somehow. Through example, I want to make young people understand that agriculture is a great opportunity," said George Takyi, a 33-year-old man who attended the “Don Bosco” Agricultural and Technical School in Sunyani, and decided to devote himself to agriculture in a serious fashion.
He is one of the project tutor candidates that the Salesians are forming in the region to foster local development and stop trafficking. George, too, had been encouraged to cross the desert and find his fortune in Europe. "He refused and decided to invest the small amount of money he had by starting an agricultural business (...). His goal is to be able to make a living with agriculture and show young people that it is possible to do it locally without too much risk. And this objective coincides with our 'Stop Trafficking' campaign," commented Don Krzysztof Nizniak, a Polish Salesian missionary.
The first requirement for the project of George and the Salesians to be actually realized is for the construction of four wells in as many farms. Well and water managers, selected on the basis of their skills and abilities, after attending a course on agriculture, will act as tutors to all the local farmers: not only will they manage water resources but they will also train the area's farmers so that, among other things, they can go beyond the slash-and-burn technique (cut and burn) that is bringing the ecosystem of sub-Saharan Africa to its knees.
Through the availability of water, the use of organic fertilizer from animals, and increased awareness of environmental issues, a virtuous development circuit will be created that will provide young farmers with a good reason for not migrating.
Don Nizniak lays great trust on George. "We believe in his strong will and his dedication and we are convinced that with the right support, he will become an important point of reference for the area's future farmers."
For more information visit the website: “Missioni Don Bosco”
