Mainstreaming Junior Land Care into LandCare Programme in Eastern Cape Province of the EASTERN CAPE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND AGRARIAN REFORM Mainstreaming Junior Land Care into LandCare Programme in Eastern Cape By M. LUZOMBE Department of Rural Development & Agrarian Reform, P.O. Box 112, Queenstown, 5320, Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa. Introduction Junior LandCare - part of the LandCare programme themes designed to empower the South African youth particularly disadvantaged youth in rural areas. Seeks to address issues of: land degradation youth unemployment, skills transfer, school nutrition and Environmental Education. Junior land care out of schools Objectives Junior Land Care Empower youth in communities and schools to care for the land. Increase number of youth in farming communities. Increase capacity of young people on issues of sustainable natural resource management. Improve productivity for greater food security through greening and sustainable food gardens that supplement the school feeding scheme. Awareness Rising. Promote hands-on and outdoor Environmental Education Activities for in and out of school communities. Junior land care in schools Conclusion Sister department need to work together with Agriculture land care in building up public awareness to schools in order to participate in this programme. > Advise as part of learning on how the projects must be planned and implemented. >DRDAR through Land care programme will continue to support all junior care programmes for in and out of school to formulate successful projects. Junior Land care provides a long term solution to sustainable land management challenges by building the foundation for our future (the children) and therefore we need to support and out scale this approach Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge DRDAR for the opportunity to present the poster.