Empowering youth with resilience to face life's challenges and educating them from a young age on healthy life choices… Viewing things from this perspective allows the Mouvman Progre Roche Bois (MPRB) to take a more holistic and systemic approach in working with young people in vulnerable situations.
For the MPRB, working with youth from vulnerable regions is effective if these young people can be supported to become resilient, strong, and informed. If this goal is achieved, they will be capable of making positive life choices on their own.
With this approach in mind, the MPRB is increasingly focusing on training its youth in agroecology. According to the NGO, if a young person can be made aware of the importance of caring for their body and environment, they will be more inclined to make positive life choices for their body, environment, and the society in which they live.
Thus, 50 young people aged 12 to 16 have joined the AgriSanté project, led by the MPRB, since the beginning of the year. This project, selected under the latest Call for Projects by the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) through the Social Innovation and Research Grant Scheme (SIRGS), started in January 2024.
“AgriSanté is a Community Empowerment project aimed at creating change through effective youth resilience practices, involving research and support over a period of two years,” explains Oliver Fanfan, a member of the MPRB Board.
In broad terms, the project focuses on educating the youth on (i) the impacts of a healthy diet, (ii) understanding their body, and (iii) developing resilience against life's challenges. It includes training on nutrition as well as an aquaponics and permaculture project.
“Research on the project's impacts is conducted by Annaelle Hip Kam, a researcher and nutritionist; the monitoring of the youth is managed by MPRB facilitators, including Quincy Duvergé and Jennifer Leopold. Simultaneously, they are equipping themselves with the skills necessary to ensure the continuity of permaculture activities at Roche Bois through MPRB’s daily programs.”
Permaculture classes have been offered to MPRB youth for the past two years under the Zeness Lalimier project, which works with out-of-school children by providing a non-formal education method. The 50 young participants in the AgriSanté project are drawn from this group involved in the broader Zeness Lalimier project.