Gezira Young People Agribusiness Trust was formed in 2012 by 135 South Sudanese youth who come from different ethnic backgrounds to engage in the business of fruit juice and smoothie blending. The primary goals of the organization are to create jobs to enable youth to become self-reliant, support food security in their community, and provide market linkages to fresh fruit farmers. GYPAT operates a juice shop in Juba and sources fresh fruit from farmers in surrounding rural areas. GYPAT has the opportunity to expand its juice business in Juba and thus increase farmer incomes as well but constrained by a lack of capacity in business and financial management, limited production capacity and inadequate funds to purchase relevant equipment and sufficient quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables for processing into juice and smoothies.
Foundation for Youth Initiative would provide demand driven trainings and technical assistances on numerous topics including ADF Required Financial and Participatory M&E; Financial Management and Entrepreneurship; Governance and Management; Agronomy; Revolving Fund Management; Policies and Procedures Manual Development; Business Plan Development and Project Evaluation.
This Project is expected to improve GYPAT’s its prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that deems suitable for funding by a donor or other financial institutions. It is also expected to improve GYPAT’s financial management, business management capacity, technical and operational capacity, marketing capacity, help increase farmers’ incomes, increased agricultural investments and supported young farmers both members and nonmembers.