b'first person YOUNG PROFESSIONALPHOTO BY JAMES AKENAI would encourage my fellow youth all aroundthe globe to harness farming. My involvement [withHeifer Uganda] has helped prepare me to be somebody that I was not earlier. It has built confidence in me.Muhammed MpiimaMuhammed Mpiima has always had a passion for agriculture. To me, agriculture is fun, so my farm is also my leisure point, he said. But Mpiima didnt always have the skills to transform his passion into a sustainable source of income.That changed in 2018 when he joined Heifer Ugandas East Africa Youth Inclusion Project (EAYIP). Focused on helping young people in Uganda gain both the technical and soft skills needed to succeed in farming and other ventures, EAYIP is an answer to the unemployment crisis facing Ugandas young adults. For Mpiima, that has meant education in financial management and business planning as well as access to a low-interest loan. With these funds he expanded his farm and earnings, increasing his income from 50,000 Ugandan shillings ($13.50) a month to more than 300,000 ($81).40| SPRING 2021'