Posted on January 15, 2012

Global 4-H Network Announces $1.5 Million Grant From Gates Foundation for Work in Sub-Saharan Africa

The global 4-H network has announced a $1.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help youth in sub-Saharan Africa create sustainable livelihoods for themselves and improve household and national food security.

The grant will be used to finance efforts to build the capacity of local 4-H organizations to provide training for young farmers, increase public and private investment in 4-H programs, and establish knowledge systems that provide 4-H and other organizations with access to high-quality agricultural information and resources. The 4-H programs in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to reach nearly 250,000 young farmers, who in turn will be able to provide fresh food sources and resources for one million people.

"Every day, the global demand for food increases by the size of the entire population of Des Moines, Iowa," said National 4-H Council president and CEO Donald T. Floyd, Jr. "The Gates Foundation has become an integral partner of the 4-H effort to combat worldwide hunger by empowering the youth of today to become the farmers and entrepreneurs of tomorrow."