Proceedings discussion No

Baboucarr Kebbeh, Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce, Gambia

I came from the Gambia, where more 60% of our population is young people, and Agriculture is leading employer and contributor of our GMDP ( 20-25), However the youth unemployment rate has gone to 38% and youth are not been very interested in the sector. This sector is predominant dominated by women.

In my view and from experience, African Governments, FAO and other partners must invest more in Agriculture, and we must finds ways to make Agriculture SEXY, attractive to youth of our African continent.

Our government have not yet leverage on the youth population of our continent, and this has end to many of our youth losing focus and hope in our leaders.

In my Country, I have led the establishment of first ever Youth Chamber of Commerce in 2016, now has a registered membership of over 200 youth enterprises. We are currently implementing a four year project under the EU and has 7 partner organisation working with Youth in business.

Alhassan Sesay, Sierra Leone School Green Club (SLSGC), Sierra Leone

We have been in agribusiness in Sierra Leone for over three years in which we grow vegetable, groundnut, Moringa etc. and we are still facing challenges. Low yield of harvest because of limited resources to expand our farming system.

The challenges we are facing as youth in Africa involve in agriculture are numerous and some of them are:

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  Access to loan
  
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  Capacity building on agriculture related programs  
  
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  Trust from people you are working with
  
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  Access to information on risk management
  

Alhassan Sesay

Justin Chisenga, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Italy

Dear All,

Thank you to you all for sharing your stories (and stories of youth that you know) in agriculture and for highlighting the issues/questions that you would what to be considered/addressed at the Rwanda Youth Conference.

I want to hear more about major achievements and success stories by youth in your countries. Here is a question that I have re-phrased to elicit more information:

Do you have (or are you aware of any) youth role models in agriculture in your countries? Who are they? What have they done or are doing to serve as role models to other youth who want to engage in agriculture?

Based on the contributions of the following colleagues, I have questions for them:

Fredrick O Ogutu (Kenya) [contribution 22, Ed.]: you indicated that your organization has have many successful businesses (by youth that you have trained) in peanut, spices, fruits and vegetables etc. Can you elaborate on one of the success stories or possibly request the youth that you have trained to share their story?

Mamadou Djemory Diabate (Côte d'Ivoire) [contribution 20, Ed.]: are you aware of any youth that have graduated from your school or college who have continued in agriculture? Any success stories, in agriculture, among your graduates?

Aklilu Nigussie (Ethiopia) [contribution 18, Ed.]: are you aware of youth in agriculture that have adopted any of the technologies that you and your colleagues have developed at the Ethiopian Institutes of Agricultural Research? If yes, would say that they are doing well in their work?

Lazarous Ng`ambi (Zambia) [contribution 16, Ed.] you say that you want to go into agriculture. What are you currently involved in or doing? Specifically, what do you want to focus on in agriculture?

Makhosi Mahlangu (Italy) [contribution 14, Ed.]: you have a very good initiative in place. Are you also planning to engage other youth, especially those in agriculture, in Africa in your activities to also empower them?

Chonyui Duna (Cameroon) [contribution 9, Ed.]: based on your experience in agriculture, what would you want the Rwanda Youth Conference to do that would help you and other youth to achieve your/their greatest wish?

Ernestine Umuhoza (Rwanda) [contribution 5, Ed.]: in your view, how should youth in Africa be involved in agriculture?

Baboucarr Kebbeh (Gambia) [contribution 32, Ed.]: out of the over 200 youth enterprises that are members of the Youth Chamber of Commerce, how many (or percentage) would you say are associated with agriculture?

Regards,

Justin Chisenga

Lead Facilitator

Celestin Gashayija, Community Integrated Polytechnic, Rwanda

Youth is the Engine in Agriculture as solid solution ending Poverty because youths are energetic, they can produce big quantity of yields and they can cover a big scope hence productivity.

Youths can practice Agriculture activities in the day time and evening time hence high productivity.

Youth can run across the world the practicing Agriculture activities, crop production is the key  for youth to ending poverty.

Bienvu Polepole, Youth Forward Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo

My recent three years’ experience in the food security industry within the unstable region of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo through the agro pastoral production has let me understand how sustainable food security in my country is more of youth implication. Although a multitude of Nongovernmental Organization and development Cooperation agencies pretend to bring their response by throwing money and technology to local uneducated farmers, the big gap still have to be covered in terms of how those with enough physical and intellectual capacity, the youth, need to be mentored, get involved, learn and teach each other from their experience, create distribution canals, enhance cooperation and build a sustainable food secure economy. This is the great question I want to address in my country knowing that, with a statistics of Youth approximated to 54%, it is far more an asset than a threat and the policies for food security and nutrition should go in that direction. From my humble participation, I cofounded the Youth Forward Congo Organization gathering youth for agro business promotion in eastern Congo since one year and a half and realize that the very big percent of the youth didn’t undertake any action yet, some who take actions don’t have enough capabilities or mentorship and also those who are supposed to help do it with disinterest or in a disoriented manner (not addressing the real challenge).

Q/ In an environment of cultural diversity and post-conflict, where agriculture is considered a vulnerable and poor people's profession. What can be done to awaken the agricultural entrepreneurial spirit within the youth?