Significance of pan african youth project

[cdemafa]

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE UJAMMA YOUTH FARMING PROJECT TO PAN-AFRICANISM, THE REVOLUTIONARY ROLE OF TODAY’S YOUTH IN THE AFRICAN LIBERATION STRUGGLE, AND HOW THE GLOBAL PAN-AFRICAN FAMILY CAN DIRECTLY ASSIT THE UYFP.
Background

The BLACK race has struggled for existence and self-determination for centuries since era of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism. On a global scale continents have been scarred by the cruel things that humankind has done to each other, and Africa has largely been at the receiving end of global relations. Nowhere else are these scars more visible than on the African continent.

The world will forever be baffled by the fact that despite inhabiting lands that are rich in minerals and oil, and soils that are naturally fertile, Africans have known poverty and under-development while wealth has remained a preserve of a minority.

Zimbabwe

Nowhere is pan-africanism being severely tested in Africa than in Zimbabwe. The current tidal wave of global pessimism and sanctions against the people of Zimbabwe has made life excruciatingly challenging for the common folk. Unemployment is reported to be over 70%. The government of Zimbabwe sought to unlock the value of its people by freeing land to most of the people in an exercised dubbed “The Third Chimurenga – Our Land Is Our Economy� which was a code for the Land Redistribution Exercise.

Resistance to this exercise has been fierce as both the former colonial settlers (who happen to be whites) and their symphathizers sought to discredit it as illegal and not consistent with human rights. Undaunted by this criticism and isolation, the Zimbabwe government successfully resettled many people and preached the gospel of self-sustenance and nation building.

Youth

The land redistribution exercise benefited formerly marginalised groups like women and the youth. However, resources were thinly stretched as the government had to battle with drought relief, an economy under siege from sanctions, lack of support from global lending institutions and a declining perception in the eyes of the world.

Funds became scarce and stopped trickling to the people. Most farming ventures suffocated from a lack of funding. It was as if the new farming initiative had died prematurely.

Ujamma

In the city of Gweru in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe, a farming cooperative was formed which drew its leadership from former student leaders. Most of its leaders were leaders of student representative councils at institutions of higher learning. It is from their days in student unionism where we can trace their roots in pan-africanism.

The core of UYFP is a very conscious unit that despises poverty and desires greatness at family, national and continental levels. What they lack in material resources, they do not lack in vision and will.

Ujamma (a Swahili word meaning ‘familyhood’) conveys the concept of African socialism, as distinct from European socialism. Unlike the latter, African socialism involves no theory of inevitable conflict between the ‘landless’ and the ‘landed’.

As explained by Tanzania’s former President Julius Nyerere, Ujamma derives from tribal socialism, the foundation of which is extended family goes beyond tribal limits to embrace all the peoples of African continent and it should be the basis of Pan Africanism. He expresses some hope that some day it will extend all mankind.


The future


Ujamma Youth Farming Project envisions an evolution into Ujamma Youth Project, which will tackle other areas of human endeavor. Farming has been identified as Project Number One because of the current State support that the land usage revolution is enjoying.

Other projects are lined up that will position the youth out of the dungeon of poverty and into self-sustenance, wealth creation and nation building. These projects cover public transport, carpentry, brick molding, fence making, walling, advertising, marketing and filmmaking. All these projects will include training on Small Medium Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Supervision, Motivation and HIV/Aids Awareness.

Diaspora solidarity

With your support comrades and friends, we swear to defend our Land Revolution as the bulwark and the heritage of all the revolutionaries who will fight for the full sovereignty and freedom of the people of the world as the African fathers did in this continent. The colonial forces have the money to buy loyalty of these reactionary forces and let us be united to fight their evil intentions.

Any aggression against Zimbabwe Land Revolution should be considered as an aggression against Global Africa. Individually, we are too weak to withstand, let alone defeat the forces of imperialism that desire to peg us eternally on the lesser podium of global race relations. It is only when we stand together, and glavanise our individual strengths into a colossal army can we move Africa forward. Africa must reclaim her strength and her destiny. The work is massive and your input materially and logistically is forever welcome. It is with this in mind that we salute SALSA for their portfolio that is designed for capacity building for organisations such as ours. We take our hats off to you.

This support and solidarity between Ujamma Youths and brothers and sisters in the diaspora must remain unbroken because your fight is our fight as we fight to free ourselves from the shackles of imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. One way of defeating the imperialists was by working the land that had been reclaimed by the Government of Zimbabwe.

Remember, a united people striving to achieve the common good for all members of the society, will always emerge victorious. Together we can.

We are kindly appealling to you brothers and sisters to help us in cash and kind for the development of our pan african youth cooperative in Zimbabwe.Additional information can be obtained upon request.
You can contact the Chairman of UYFP at cdemafa@yahoo.com

[Akyeame Kwame]

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