Issue number 20: Special issue on youth and agriculture - February 2011

Message from the Director

 
 

 

 Mahamadi Ganemtore, 24, operates a water pump used to irrigate his small farm with water from a nearby dam reservoir in Kouni, Burkina Faso.

We are pleased to offer you this special issue of FIDACTION on the occasion of IFAD’s 2011 Governing Council which is focused on youth and agriculture. The Governing Council provides the opportunity to showcase the wealth of practical experience accumulated by projects working with rural young people around the globe. This issue of FIDACTION presents success stories and results achieved by youth working in agriculture in West and Central Africa.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of young African, men and women, are leaving rural communities to seek a better life in urban centers. Many say goodbye to their families in rural areas and head to cities such as Brazzaville, Lagos, Dakar and Bamako in order to escape poverty. Others make perilous journeys by land or by sea to Europe, seeking refuge or economic opportunity. But the dream often has little to do with the reality of life outside of rural communities in West and Central Africa. Faced with intense competition for jobs, many young migrants eventually turn to illegal activities in order to make ends meet.

Because of their numbers and potential impact, rural youth must be a major part of any equation dealing with immediate and long-term solutions to solving problems of food security, income growth and sustainable development. In this issue, we highlight our growing partnership with the Songhai Center, based in Benin, as well as some of the success stories and initiatives being implemented in West and Central Africa. The Rural Enterprises Project in Ghana reports on how local economic development supported young entrepreneurs and increased employment opportunities in rural areas. Three stories in Benin, describe how micro-livestock, a working farm school group and creative agricultural activity have helped young shareholders double and triple their incomes. In Senegal, the Saloum Metal programme showcases the opportunities in professions both up- and downstream from agriculture and the generation of networking opportunities for young people. In Nigeria, in the Niger Delta, the Community Based Natural Resource Development Project reports on a successful farming programme with  young people with troubled backgrounds to try their hand at vegetable farming, thus satisfying the triple aims of reducing migration, reducing crime and improving the diets and therefore living standards of local people. Finally, the Promotion of Local Initiative for Development in Aguie explains how young people are coaching farmers in natural resources management techniques.

All of these examples were identified and discussed in a workshop, held recently at the Songhai Center, near Cotonou, Benin which was founded by Reverend Father Godfrey Nzamujo in 1985.  IFAD is proud to be a partner with Songhai Center in expanding training opportunities for rural youth in modern agriculture and business skills.  While agriculture is not and cannot be the answer for all rural youth, the experiences from IFAD supported projects and the Songhai Center demonstrate that providing young people with access to technology, knowledge and resources can open up a world of opportunities for them.

I believe that modern, agricultural development is a fundamental part of the solution to youth unemployment and restiveness and I would like to thank projects that have contributed to this issue. They are contributing to making the lives of young people from rural areas more productive.

Enjoy your reading

Mohamed Beavogui
Director
Western and Central Africa Division

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Empowering rural youth: the Songhai centre model

 
 

 

 Technical apprentice training Ghana

The future of farming in Africa depends on attracting Africa’s talented youth to pursue agriculture as a professional vocation.  However, in the absence of access to training and technology, many youth view farming as a “dead-end” occupation and instead pursue jobs in urban areas.  As a response to this and as a method of promoting entrepreneurship -- the basis for the progress of any economy -- the Songhai Centre in Porto Novo, Benin, was founded in 1985. An incubation centre for young, socio-economic entrepreneurs, it is a research and training ground for young African farmers to learn aquaculture and crop and livestock production. Even more importantly, youth learn how to apply sustainable development to their own lives, gradually making their dreams reality. At the centre, young people learn how to participate in socio-economic reconstruction, reducing poverty in their own communities.

Father Godfrey Nzamujo founded the centre. “[It] has been able to uniquely link agriculture to industry and commerce through an integrated effort that focuses on promoting sustainable social entrepreneurship and building capacity to efficiently harness local resources," he said. "Songhai trains young agricultural entrepreneurs who, once established, become examples of success - capable of commanding respect and attracting the surrounding populations to the new kind of agriculture practiced by Songhai. This training does not stop with the acquisition and mastery of techniques of agricultural production. Songhai continuously follows up with its trained students from the pre-establishment stage through to the establishment of their farms and beyond”, he said. “This framework has been successful; Songhai is being used as a model in several countries, such as Benin, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria” he added.

In Nigeria, the Rivers State Government is adapting the Songhai project model for   use in that country. The Government provides infrastructure, while the Ministry of Agriculture and consultants from Songhai design and guide the delivery of the curriculum. The project aims to contribute to poverty reduction through skills development for employment creation in the agricultural sector. By stimulating growth of agro-based entrepreneurs and enterprises it hopes to generate interest and create a new class of farmers from among the youths.

The Songhai Centre has also signed a memorandum of understanding with IFAD-funded Community-Based Natural Resource Management Programme in the Niger Delta. “What we are doing in Songhai farms in Rivers State is to change the mind-sets of the youths from violence to productive ventures   through food production, processing and servicing” said Father Godfrey Nzamujo in an interview with the Nigerian newspaper, Tide News Online.

IFAD is partnering with Songhai Centre in order to engage young people from rural communities in agriculture. The proposed programme for Rural Youth and Agricultural Business Development in West and Central Africa is designed to support the regional scaling-up of activities by the Songhai Centre,  promoting access by young people, men and women to appropriate entrepreneurial, leadership and management skills for effective participation in the creation of viable agribusiness enterprises. Such activities will strengthen Songhai Centre core capacities, allowing it to serve as a platform that will develop a network of agricultural youth training centers, linking to development projects.

The Songhai Center is an “unreleased” model for development in Africa. It needs to be supported and improved in order to make it a reference for the emergence of the African continent. Founded with the aim of creating viable socio-economic environments in Africa, it was founded in Benin in 1985. The center, which was named after the famed 15th century Malian empire, receives about 4000 visitors each year and has made great strides since it was launched.

More than 400 students are currently in training at the Porto Novo center and at its sister branches in Savalou, Parakou and Kinwedji. They follow 18-month long curricula and gain experience on more than 250 farms across Benin. The farms are managed by the students, under the guidance of local coordinating units. Every year, more than 300 participants from a variety of countries attend short-term courses at the center.

The Songhai Center has over 150 permanent staff, including facilitators, technicians and administrators. It is partnered with more than 40 public and private institutions, associations, universities and international groups.

For more information, please contact:
Zoumana Bamba
KM Officer

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District councils and promoters of rural enterprises: One path to sustainable economic development and youth employment

 
 

 

 DCEs of some participating districts in a group discussion during a Capacity Building Workshop organized by the Rural Enterprises Project in October, 2010

In developing parts of West Africa such as Ghana, the youth are 3.8 more times likely to be unemployed than adults. According to the International Labour Organization, getting Sub-Saharan youth employed in productive work could result in a 12 to 19 percent gain in GDP. To help address this need, the Rural Enterprises Project aims to improve local economic development and create lasting solutions that will increase employment opportunities in rural areas. To create these opportunities, the Rural Enterprises Project (REP) focuses on strengthening Ghana’s District Assemblies. The District Assemblies are responsible at a local level for promoting economic development that will lead to poverty reduction, so these Assemblies are viewed as one of the best paths to promoting sustainable rural Micro and Small Enterprise Development (MSE).

The REP began its pilot phase on a successful note when they worked with District Assemblies in the Sekyere West and Techiman districts. In this intervention, Assemblies provided land for the construction of the Business Advisory Centres (BACs) and Rural Technology Facilities (RTFs) and roads, electricity and water. This success led to the expansion of the project to 11 additional districts.

Under phase two of the REP (2003 – 2011), the BACs and RTFs have been replicated as successful models in 53 more districts. In these districts, the Assemblies are the center of project implementation. The Assemblies provide office space, staff, and counterpart funds and establish a sub-committee on MSE promotion, as they supervise the day-to-day operations of the BACs and RTFs.

A conducive environment for sustainable MSE development has been produced through the strengthening of these District Assemblies. The BACs and RTFs are continuous sources of support for MSE development. They provide services such as training, business counseling and facilitation of access to credit. As of July 2010, 6,443 people had been trained in agro-processing, batick tie-dye, fish farming and processing, bee keeping and guinea fowl rearing. In addition, the RTFs aid with development by producing agro-processing equipment. One of the most promising results has been that 3,182 rural youth have taken part in the Project’s Equipment Scheme, with 70% of them establishing their own business as of September 2010.

“The activities of REP when well coordinated by the Assemblies will promote skills acquisition and employment generation.”

Robert B. Forkuo, DCE of Asante Akyem South District.

The project has already displayed an ability to sustain itself. Eight years after the first phase of the project, the beneficiary Assemblies continue to financially support the operations of the BACs and RTFs in 12 districts to the tune of GH¢249,972.00. Nine of these districts have established functional MSE sub-committees to support the work of the BACs and RTFs. Two of these districts have also established their own Light Industrial Sites. In addition, data collected from three REP-districts indicate that 1,600 clients continue to receive active support from the BACs.

At the end of September 2010, a total number of 55 district round table meetings involving different interest groups had been organized by 27 BACs. Other MSE support institutions such as NGOs, banks, and other projects who are working at the district level are collaborating with the BACs and RTFs. Experience with the REP has shown that poverty reduction in rural areas is best achieved through collaboration between various stakeholders. The programme’s vision is to convert the REP experience into a nationwide programme that covers all 161 rural districts and to improve the living conditions of the rural poor, through increased incomes thereby contributing to poverty reduction in all 161 rural districts of Ghana.

For further information, contact:

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Micro-livestock in Benin: How the cane rat is improving livelihoods in Dasso

 
 

 

 Elias, young rural entrepreneur holding a cane rat

In the Beninese town of Ouinhi, cane rat is on the dinner menu. This medium-sized town, home to 38,300, is the site of a PADER (Rural Development Support Programme) to introduce cane rate breeding to young, unemployed people with potential. Although agriculture, fishing and hunting are Ouinhi's biggest industries, unemployment is high and many young people have migrated to Cotonou, Porto Novo and other significant towns in search of improved living conditions.

However, for a group of young shareholders of Ouinhi's Association of Financial Services (ASF), the cane rat has turned their livelihoods around. This large rodent, alternatively known as the grasscutter, is highly valued as a source of bush meat in tropical parts of West Africa. With this knowledge, the PADER introduced an intensive rearing system and engaged an initial group of six young volunteers. The programme, which had an initial budget of 2.1m CFA, is one solution to the rural exodus that had been observed among young people from Ouinhi. The volunteers were given five cane rats - one male and four females - for breeding purposes and taught how to care for, raise and sell the creatures for food. At the end of the training, they were provided with material and financial resources to be used as working capital for the activity. The nearby Communal Centre for Agricultural Promotion (CECP) provided veterinary help.

After the training phase, it was noted that incomes among the volunteers jumped from a monthly average of 10,000 CFA to 50,000 CFA. Three of the youth were able to construct new homes and two more bought motorbikes for increased mobility. Another expanded his land assets, acquiring 1.5 hectares to be used for maize and cassava production.

"In two years of working with the cane rats, I produced a total of 75 animals. These days I sell on-site around 200 couples, with a total profit margin of 400,000 CFA per annum."

Elias, cane rat breeder

There are, of course, challenges and difficulties. They include cane rat disease and epidemics and the high cost of materials for enclosures and other equipment. But young people like Elias credit the programme with bringing increased wealth and new opportunities to the youth of Ouinhi. It allows young people to play a part in society, gain self-respect, self-confidence and faith in their abilities to succeed. The message is contagious: despite the challenges of life in rural communities, young people can succeed.

For further information, contact:

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Benin's Working Farm School: A tool for engaging young people and reducing rural poverty

 
 

 

 Benin working farm school

In the community of Lokozoun Willy, a working farm school is transforming the livelihoods of discouraged, rural youth. Prospective young farmers, many of whom dropped out of school for financial or motivational reasons, are continuing their education on a working farm.

The school doubles as a working farm, meaning that none of the resources or materials is under-employed. Young people attend classes on crop production, raising livestock, building construction, fertilisation and entrepreneurship. The farm has the capacity to raise 300 cane rats, 80 piglets, more than 2000 rabbits and 3000 chicks on a yearly basis.

The overarching aim is to reduce unemployment in the region and encourage young people to feel a valued part of society. The objectives of the project include training 95 potential farmers in agricultural techniques. With a shared cultivation area of 2 hectares, the trainees are able to gain valuable farming experience without shelling out for their own land, materials and equipment.

Costs and resources at the Lokozoun Willy working farm school

Equipment: 121m CFA
Infrastructure: 21m CFA
Training resources: 17m CFA
Youth integration work: 44m CFA

Of the 95 trainees, 53 graduated in livestock rearing and a further 15 in animal production. 19 young people failed to successfully complete the training for unspecified reasons. In order to admit a new intake of prospective farmers, funding needs must be satisfied.

For further information, contact:

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Senegal: Saloum Metal solders bright futures for youth in the Sokone region

 
 

 

 Mamadou Khalifa DIONE, Head and owner of Saloum Metal (Photo PROMER)

Until a few years ago, 23-year-old Pape was tempted to leave his village in the pretty Sokone region of Senegal's Saloum Delta for the urban grit of Kaolack, 45km away. The Sokone region is one of West Africa's most significant cashew-producing areas, but for young people wanting to pursue a life outside of agriculture, it offers very little. So when PROMER launched Saloum Metal, a professional organisation founded with the dual aims of offering employment to young people and providing metalwork services to local farmers, Pape was among the first in line. "I always wanted to work with my hands, but agricultural revenues can be low, and farming didn't appeal to me," he said. "Saloum Metal gave me the training I needed to start my own metalwork business, and I didn't need to travel to Kaolack. I've been able to stay here with my family."

With young Senegalese people increasingly turning their backs on traditional agricultural areas such as Sokone, PROMER hopes that the provision of alternative forms of employment including metalwork can help encourage them to stay. Rural-urban migration is a common phenomenon in low-income villages in Senegal, with moderately poor people feeling pushed out and moderately well-off people experiencing the same. Cities such as the Senegalese capital Dakar are shouldering the vast majority of this burden, leaving them struggling to cope with the influx of people from rural areas.

With a population of 12,700, Sokone was an ideal target for the Saloum Metal programme.

 
 

 

 A sample of tools made by Saloum Metal (Photo PROMER)

When it was launched, its objectives included the showcasing of opportunities in professions both up- and downstream from agriculture, the reduction of youth unemployment and the generation of networking opportunities for young people as well as stakeholders. By 2007, 21 micro-enterprises and 252 jobs had been created off the back of the programme. Young people who had undergone training with Saloum Metal reported an increase in monthly income of around 50,000 CFA. Beneficiaries showed less interest in leaving the area. The agricultural industry has benefited too, with more and more farmers modernising their farming techniques with newly-affordable metal equipment, including durable donkey carts and hoes.

According to PROMER, capacity building among young people in the sector has improved the quality of local metalwork. The organisation says higher agricultural yields have led to increased farmer self-sufficiency and improved crop processing. That's not to say that the programme is without difficulties; power cuts and competition are preventing it reaching its full potential. The transportation of raw materials from Kaolack and, further afield, Dakar, is also an issue. Nevertheless, PROMER says better organisation of the metalwork sector could help ease such problems.

For further information, contact:

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Market gardening in Avlékété: A response to food insecurity

After floods ravaged coastal areas of Benin in 2008, the Beninese government launched the Emergency Support Programme for Food Security (PUASA). The programme aims to reduce food insecurity among vulnerable members of the population, while engaging young people in creative agricultural activity and boosting fruit and vegetable access for the local market.

What does it take to produce a hectare of watermelon in Avlékété?

Chemical fertilisers
Labor
Seeds
Travel
Maintenance
Equipment
Natural fertiliser
Plant protection products

57 young people were initially identified to participate in the programme, all of whom come from the Association of Avlékété Market Gardeners (AMAv) in the seaside community of Avlékété, which was hit particularly hard by the 2008 floods. The young people were divided into work groups, supplied with equipment and farming materials - at minimal cost or on credit. Subsidised access to chemical fertilisers was also provided.

"Thanks to market gardening, I've been able to buy a plot of land to build a house on"

Faustin Hounamon, member of the Association of Avlékété Market Gardeners

 
 

 

 Youth group in Avlekete (Benin)

One year later, the young market gardeners are certainly reaping what they sowed. The sale of watermelons, tomatoes and melons produced by the participants provided a total of 63 million CFA. Each young farmer has earned an average of 110,000 CFA per year -- a 70,000 CFA rise from their previous earnings. The availability of fresh, locally-produced fruits and vegetables has also boosted living conditions for the greater community, affecting up to 900 other people. The total area now in use by the market gardeners is 22 acres; in addition, many have acquired their own plots and have been able to direct their profits towards school fees, housing improvements and the purchase of their own transport. 150 jobs have been indirectly created as a result of the programme.

"Market gardening is a source of wealth creation for young people in Avlékété"

Claude Zossoungbo, president of the Association of Avlékété Market Gardeners

 
 

 

 Watermelon fields grown in Avlekete by young farmers (Benin)

There are, of course, challenges to be met. They include water management and soil tillage with limited materials. Nevertheless, PUASA programme staff agree on one lesson learnt; young people in the community have been pleasantly surprised by the effect of market gardening on their lives. Everyone agrees that it's a new response to food insecurity for Avlékété.

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From petty crime to vegetable plots: Niger Delta's troubled youths learn dry-season farming

 
 

 

 A youth harvesting from a dry season vegetable farm at Iguomo Community, Edo State, Nigeria

The largest wetland in Africa, the Niger Delta is rich in both renewable and non-renewable natural resources, including oil, gas, bitumen, timber, forest products and wildlife. 95% of the Nigerian government's total revenue is derived from oil and gas exploration in the region, yet the delta itself remains in the grip of poverty. When oil was discovered here in 1957, the region was promised riches. Instead, many young people find themselves turning to a life of crime to meet ends meet in such a troubled, restive part of the country. For every pipeline that has been destroyed as a result of the region's troubles, more arable land has been lost. Until recently, agricultural viability was rapidly waning.

IFAD's Programme Community-Based Natural Resource Management Programme includes a Community Driven Development (CDD) approach, engaging youths with troubled backgrounds in gainful employment. Under the programme, the local community selects locations for dry-season vegetable farms, which are managed through a combination of local labour and supplied equipment. The objective of the farming programme was to encourage young people with troubled backgrounds to try their hand at vegetable farming instead, thus satisfying the triple aims of reducing migration, reducing crime and improving the diets and therefore living standards of local people. "Before programme intervention, it was noticed that the people could eat garri three times a day (morning, afternoon and evening), which is basically starchy and strictly carbohydrate," said Programme Representative Jerus Uvieghara. "A consequence of that kind of diet is that children look unhealthy and suffer from vitamin deficiencies."

"The most common crime recorded amongst the targeted population before the launch of the programme was child trafficking. They were involved in sending girls in the communities to bigger cities in Nigeria like Lagos and Abuja to serve as house helps. On other occasions they were sent to neighbouring countries with a promise of greener pastures. But before long they were sent out onto the streets to beg or sell their bodies.  Consequently, the children were exposed to the ugly side of city life societal life at an early age, resulting in teenage pregnancy and crime."

Programme Representative Jerus Uvieghara

Perennial streams were harnessed for dry-season production of crops such as water leaves, bitter leaves, okra, pumpkin and pepper. 120 young prospective farmers were selected and were included in the preparation process, which encompassed the installation of water pumps, the acquisition of equipment and crop planting. The impact of the programme is already being felt. The young people involved are benefiting from a true sense of belonging, allowing them to take responsibility for their vegetable plots. 'Protect what is yours' is a popular mantra among them. In addition, the percentage of households who did not eat vegetables on a regular basis has dropped from 97% to 21% in Cross River state's Woda community. Because the young farmers are gainfully employed, they are finding less time to indulge their vices, and their living standards have significantly improved.  There has also been a 25% increase in the number of households with savings accounts.

Beneficiaries: 120 young people (48 men, 72 women) between the ages of 25 and 40

Time scale: The programme began in 2008 and runs until 2013

Budget: NGN4,725,000.00

For further information, contact:

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Niger: Agricultural Support Board engages young people in Aguie

 
 

 

 Practical training for young farmers by extension agents (Photo: Mahaman adamou, PPILDA, 2010)

n southern Niger's semi-arid district of Aguie, the concept of respect is valued almost as highly as food security. Here, rainfall and crop harvest times can be unpredictable, leaving farmers reliant on the cultivated valleys of seasonal rivers. Many families have experienced hunger, and enthusiasm for learning new agricultural techniques to boost food self-sufficiency runs high. Yet it is the promise of respect that is encouraging young people to get involved with the Agricultural Support Board, a body that - with the backing of the Promotion of Local Initiative for Development in Aguie (PPILDA) - trains young people to coach farmers in techniques such as the creation of demi-lunes, banquettes and the reclamation of hardpan soil.

"Thanks to my work with [the Agricultural Support Board], I've made many friends and they respect me in some villages" said Chaibou Lali, who comes from the community of El Gueza. Daouda Hakilou, from the village of Dan Saga said the Agricultural Support Board offers opportunities to work closely with local government and other development partners. "With the Support Board, we reduce our unemployment levels," he said. Ali Neino, who lives nearby, said there's now no need for agricultural advisors to travel to Dan Saga from further afield. "The development of farmer advisory support [here] has reduced the burden of agricultural advisors. We rarely need to see them these days," he said.

The population of Niger's Maradi region, which includes Aguie, is one of the most vulnerable in all of West Africa. Few farmers have access to vast swathes of fertile land; in fact, the average ratio of agricultural land per person is between 0.15 and 0.24 hectares. Average annual income is around 105,000 CFA ($212) per person, and few are able to meet necessary expenses that include school fees, healthcare, clothing and social ceremonies -- including weddings, baptisms and funerals.

To date, 1500 heads of vulnerable households - among them, 25 women - have been trained by the Agricultural Support Board. More than 17m CFA has been earned by the members of ten farmer groups created by the board, which pull together their collective expertise for improved crop yields. Although not everyone has access to materials and fertiliser, improved cooperation is sowing the seeds for a brighter future.

For further information, contact:

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Documenting the success stories of IFAD-Funded projects on rural youth

 
 

 

 Participants in the capitalization workshop

Sharing experiences and reviewing progress are essential when it comes to scaling-up projects and programmes. However, mid-term review, monitoring and evaluation and on-going supervision are not always enough; these approaches often focus on the implementation process and on constraints. In order to truly capture the rich experience of IFAD-financed activities, capitalization of experiences is key. This approach can help the stakeholders of projects identify and express their experiences and lessons learnt. These can then be documented and shared with all interested parties.

In 2011, the theme of the IFAD Governing Council (GC) is rural youth. In the run-up to the 2011 GC meeting, representatives from selected IFAD-financed activities across West and Central Africa convened in Porto Novo, Benin to capitalize and share experiences. Representatives shared experiences and discussed the ways in which young men and women from rural communities are increasingly involved in sustainable agriculture in their communities. The capitalization approach was utilized in order to facilitate the sharing process.

During the workshop, which was held at the Songhai Centre in Benin's capital Porto Novo, from 17 to 25 January 2011, workshop participants utilized the capitalization approach during facilitated sessions. The aim of the workshop was to produce information and knowledge materials, including information sheets on each project, using participatory methods. It was a joint learning and facilitated process with several steps that combined face-to-face interaction with skills development. The latter focused on documenting and analyzing experience through a series of peer-review critique of texts.

Seven short articles were produced on diverse activities involving youth, from market gardening to coaching farmers in natural resources management techniques. The workshop also focused on building the capacity of project staff and their competence on capitalization. It also helped refine the methodology, process and tools for the capitalization process.

The Benin workshop was the first in a series of workshops that will utilize the capitalization process. As such, it is important to document the lessons learnt. They include a need to involve beneficiaries in the process, with particular emphasis upon their documenting their testimonies -- this reinforces the validity and credibility of the information. Workshop participants also stressed that a minimum of 45 days notice prior to workshops commencing should be given in order to allow participants sufficient time to prepare. It was also deemed useful to develop a monitoring method which would assess the progress of the capitalization approach - and that of the trained project staff in applying it - during normal project operations.

The participating projects at the capitalization workshop were:

  • Rural Development Support Programme (PADER) – Benin
  • Rural Enterprises Project (REP) Phase II– Ghana
  • Project for the Promotion of Local Initiative for Development in Aguié (PPDILDA) – Niger
  • Community-Based Natural Resource Management Programme - Niger Delta (CBRNDP-ND) – Nigeria
  • Promotion of Rural Entrepreneurship Project - Phase II (PROMER II) – Senegal.

For more information, please contact:
Zoumana Bamba