Farm Concern International, FCI with support from Tearfund UK organized a training for Tearfund Eastern and Southern Africa Self Help Group (SHG) & Cluster Level Association (CLA) Model Facilitators from 30th July to 3rd August 2018 in Nairobi Kenya.

The training targeted Tearfund Eastern and Southern Africa Region staff, partner staff and self-help group facilitators through a week long training that focused on agri-value chain development, smallholder commercialization, market information system, linking farmers to markets and agri-enterprise development. The participants were drawn from six countries (Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania & Kenya). The training combined several strategies, approaches and methodology so as to provide the much needed better and refined skill set by the participants.

Youth in Agri-ICT, Trade and Enterprises (YATE) Football Club star is rising as Kameu Secondary School Football Club supported by FCI emerges as the best in Mt. Kenya region and lifting Embu Open Tournament 2018. FCI is optimizing the sports space as part of our repositioning and rebuilding the image of the agri-entrepreneurship among the youth in Africa. The football club supported by FCI comprises of children from vulnerable households and this is building confidence that agric. is the next big thing in Africa to unlock incomes. Cost benefit analysis by FCI on multiple enterprises is revealing that a youth can earn sustainable incomes ranging from USD 1,500 to USD 6,000 annually. We further use case studies to make this reality alive for youth. A new hope is dawning for our youth in Africa to access money from farm enterprises and agri-value chains!

The Grain Council of Uganda (TGCU) with the support of Farm Concern International,  is organizing a two day high-level 5th Annual Agribusiness Congress East Africa from 29th – 30th November 2017 in Kampala, Uganda. The Congress will bring together key public & private stakeholders in the agricultural sector to encourage unity, enhance trade cooperation and ensure that East Africa’s agriculture sector is positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the growth from farm to fork. The Congress will examine the critical issues pertaining to accessing technology, affordable finance, forming true commodity markets, the role of the public and private sectors, modern transformation and access to regional and international markets. Featured at the event will be: government officials, large and emerging commercial farmers, financiers and the banking sector, project developers, traders and retailers, food reserve and development agencies and solution providers from East Africa as well as other African regions and the world. FCI will be presenting a topic entitled: “Case study: The guide to setting a successful national commodity market.” Moreover, FCI will also participate in a Panel Discussion: “Unlocking investment and trade hotspots in the Agri-value chain" ... Read More

The youth (15-34 years), who form 35% of the Kenyan population, have an unemployment rate of 67%. A total of over 1.3 million new employment places have to be created annually to meet the demand by young people entering the labour market. A vibrant agriculture sector has the capacity to absorb a substantial percentage of these youth through employment, farming, and agribusiness along the dairy, horticulture, staples and livestock value chains. 

National policies, especially Kenya Vision 2030, acknowledge the role of agriculture as a key economic driver and further advocate for active involvement of youth in all sectors of the economy coupled with increased access to factors of production, access to markets among others. Further, on the global, continental and regional fronts, the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) and the Africa Union own Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) emphasizes the need for maximum integration of the youth in the agricultural sector. However numerous challenges including insufficient financial support, inadequate technical capacity, limited access to pre-established markets, and weak implementation of policies hamper maximum participation by youth in the agriculture sector, thereby calling for home grown solutions.