By Odiwuor Opiyo
KIGALI, MARCH 15, 2022 (CISA) – Members of Caritas Africa, at a Food Security workshop held in Kigali, between February 28 and March 4 resolved to address drivers of food insecurity through training farmers on basic entrepreneurial skills and to promote food and nutrition security through agro ecological practices in response to Pope Francis encyclical, Laudato Si, both at National and at diocesan level.
These interventions that target the youth are according to Ato Shiferaw Mamo, representative for Caritas Ethiopia; Program Manager and Deputy Director of the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Commission, “meant to facilitate farmers with access to inputs and service providers.” Faith leaders are able to influence where government and business cannot. They can work as community leaders creating systems change and legal reform, as well as providing moral guidance and education to their congregations
“The Challenges are indicative that there is a need to consolidate information on our existing interventions, assess emerging needs and use this information to shape our future interventions as the church is working to contribute to food sovereignty in Africa,” said Shiferaw.
The workshop ran under the theme, ‘Rural Transformation through the Promotion of Ecologically Sound Practices and Sustainable Food Systems in Africa,’ with participating organizations and countries including Caritas Africa, Caritas Congo, ASBL, Caritas Ethiopia, Caritas Liberia Caritas Mali, Caritas Niger, Caritas Norway, Caritas Uganda and Caritas Zambia.
