Peasant Youth in Africa Organize Collective Study at Nkrumah School, South Africa
From September 20th to October 6th, African youth members of La Via Campesina (LVC) organizations attended the Nkrumah School in South Africa for a Training of Trainers (ToT) program on political education.
Abraham Ojangole, a member of ESAFF Uganda, celebrated his participation at the school, saying that he will be able “to mobilize his fellow peasants to help them build more confidence in order to become trainers as well.”
Also from ESAFF Uganda, David Oming concluded that the training enlightened him about class struggles and the need for socialism in farming communities. “Through the training, I was also able to acquire different strategies and skills to advocate for the rights of small-scale farmers in Uganda,” he emphasized.
Mildred Nduta, from the Kenyan Peasants League, believes that the workshop provided her with both a theoretical foundation and practical tools to teach and better organize youth in her region.
“I learned more about the importance of dialogue in education, as Paulo Freire suggested, and how we can empower those we educate to also become leaders. I’ll also work to ensure that youth are not just participants but leaders in our movements, using Marxist tools to guide our actions,” she concluded.
Representing ECASARD from Ghana, Kingsley Sabah stated that the training was an “opportunity to engage deeply with both historical and contemporary political frameworks that shape African societies, along with a deeper understanding of decolonization in its various forms. This highlighted the importance of people-centered, indigenous-led development, especially in agriculture.”
As a result of the training, educational projects were designed, and a youth forum was created to inspire and motivate youth participation in the struggles of the peasant movement across different countries worldwide.
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