Youth cultivate vegetables for survival in Nzila
Young people in the Central African Republic are transforming hectares of land into vegetable farms to feed their families and pay for school.
In Nzila, Bangui-Fleuve sub-prefecture, vegetable farming has become a matter of survival for young people. Every afternoon, dozens of youths tend to hectares of land, growing vegetables to feed their families and pay for their education. The most common crop is amaranth, which grows quickly and is less expensive to cultivate.
Saddrack Mala, a young farmer, explained that while amaranth grows within three days, it takes three weeks to sell, with a plot costing 2,500 F CFA. Carrots take three months to mature and sell for 8,000 F CFA per plot, a price that discourages many. Preparing a 8m plot for carrots costs 8,000 F CFA, a significant expense for these young cultivators.
Despite the challenges, this horticultural activity sustains families and maintains vegetable cultivation in the Central African Republic. A mother, who wished to remain anonymous, complained that the effort is not adequately valued. The practice of growing vegetables is considered beneficial for health, according to medical advice.
Why it mattersYoung farmers in Nzila are cultivating vegetables to earn money for food and school fees, with plots costing up to 8,000 F CFA.