The Sunday News
Lackson Munkombwe Sunday News Reporter
THE World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday launched awareness lecture series with Lupane State University aimed at tackling the underlying causes of hunger, building self-reliance and improving food security in the country. Speaking during the launch in Bulawayo, WFP programme officer Ms Susanne Quadros said Sustainable Development Goal Number Two, which says: “End hunger, Achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture” must be taught among youths especially at universities so that they know what they are expected to achieve after they graduate.
“The need to achieve zero hunger by 2030 under SDGs must be addressed at youth level,” said Ms Quadros. “Awareness towards this SDG Two must be a student component who is the future in development of sustainable food security.”
She said agenda 2030 was real, especially with extensive youths participation.
“We are training a lot of young people on social behaviour and association of small households. We are doing a lot of production recreation and production assets such as building dams and, irrigating some most dry places in the country,” said Ms Quadros.
She said about eight universities in the country have been engaged in partnership with the United Nations to formulate chapters that seeks to address all aspects of SDGs.
“Our goals are aimed at improving people’s lives through capacity alignment and help people create their opportunities that will guarantee sustainable food security for their households. We are working closely with the country’s agenda Zim-Asset,” said Ms Quadros.
Zimbabwe United Nations LSU chapter president Mr Langton Mpofu said youths were happy to be involved in SDGs forums and were committed to prove their utility in the development of the country.
“We have managed to translate the SDGs into Kalanga and more other local languages will be completed in due course. We hope to launch the Kalanga version next month,” said Mr Mpofu.
