Category: Entrepreneurship

How Can Research Support Rural Women Farmers and Entrepreneurs to Thrive in Africa?

Winnie is an entrepreneur from Uganda who runs a successful business making probiotic yogurt and selling to other businesses and schools. When I heard her speak at a recent food security meeting in Ottawa, Canada, I learned that Winnie has not always been this successful.

Winnie’s family had always kept cattle, but most of the milk the cows produced was for consumption by the family. In 2014, Winnie received training from an organization called Yoba for Life on how to use freeze-dried bacteria to produce probiotic yogurt from her family cows’ milk, a practice that has been common in the Netherlands where Yoba for Life is based, but not in Africa. Research conducted by Yoba for Life and Heifer International developed the technology used by Winnie for producing and using freeze-dried bacteria to make yogurt in Uganda.

Winnie started selling the yogurt to neighbors and to the local shopping center. As sales increased, her family milk was not enough, and she started purchasing milk from other women farmers in her neighborhood. Soon, she teamed up with a few other women to start the Kiboga Ikamiro Women’s Group production facility. Using the new freeze-dried bacterial technology, they currently produce 150-200 liters of yogurt per day, earning USD 3500 per month. She has increased her cattle herd to 20 milking cows, employs 27 women and youth in the production facility and built a better house for her family.

Winnie is one of more than half a million women who has been involved in research projects funded under the Canadian Food Security Research Fund, a research program implemented in 24 countries over the last nine years by Canada’s International Development Research Centre and Global Affairs Canada. This program has been hugely successful at helping women, who often provide half of the agricultural labor but do not have the same land rights and access to income as men, improve their livelihoods.

It may be surprising to learn that a program focused on research can help rural women engaged in agriculture and agribusiness to thrive. When people hear of research, they often think of complex experiments done in laboratories by serious looking scientists in white lab coats working on things only they understand. But research can have very practical implications in the lives of people.

I have been a researcher for 20 years now, and I have seen the power of research and innovation in transforming the lives of women like Winnie.

First, research can help identify and develop innovations that enable women to add value to their products and thereby increase their incomes. In Nigeria and Benin, the production of indigenous vegetables has been hampered by low consumption and lack of markets for smallholder farmers. Through several years of research, researchers found new ways and technologies for producing wine and syrups, in addition to the more traditional products such as bread, to add value to these vegetables. Women increased their incomes from indigenous vegetables by over 120 percent.

Second, research can find ways of reducing the drudgery of food production and processing for women. Of the 250 million tons of crops grown in sub-Saharan Africa in 2012, a total of 75 percent were grown by smallholder farmers and these were weeded by hand. Between 50 and 70 percent of these farmers’ time was spent on weeding, and 90 percent of women smallholder farmers carry out this task themselves. In India, processing one bag of millet can take up to two days. As a result, the consumption of millet, a crop that is highly nutritious and has the potential to contribute to better nutrition is rarely consumed in India.  Through research, scientists developed a threshing machine that reduces the time it takes to thrash a bag of millet to two or three hours. As a result, women entrepreneurs using the technology increased their income from US$1800 to US$4500 per annum, close to a three-fold increase.

Third, innovations from research can increase the nutrition and health of women. In the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh, 50 million women and 15 million children suffer from anemia. A new technology that encapsulates salt with iron and iodine has led to the local production of double fortified salt in the state. Between 2014 and 2017, 40,000 metric tonnes of double fortified salt were distributed through India’s public distribution system with 85% of the targeted households purchasing and using the salt on a regular basis. The use of double fortified salt has led to a decline in the prevalence of iron deficiency from 23 to 9 percent.

Finally, research can illuminate the financial needs of women smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs and facilitate the development of appropriate products and access to these products. In Bolivia, researchers working with the Insitucion Financiera De Desarrollo increased the understanding of the fisheries sector by the financial company, leading to dthe evelopment of financial products that suited the needs of women in the sector. Between 2015 and 2017, US$ 1.9M was loaned to women entrepreneurs in the sector with an average loan size of US$ 6000.

For research to work for women, women must be engaged as researchers, producers, business owners, consumers so that they can set their priorities and contribute to the development of innovations that best suit their needs and priorities.

Dr. Jemimah Njuki is a Senior Program Specialist at Canada’s International Development Centre where she works on gender and women’s empowerment. She is an Aspen New Voices 2017 fellow. Follow her @jemimah_njuki

2019 Young Professional Program (The World Bank Group) – Call for Application

The African Chamber of Commerce (AFCHAM) was built with youth dynamism being its centerpiece.  AFCHAM Youth Empowerment Program was launched with the aim to give youths the skills they need in order to reveal their full potentials in all walks of life and with particular emphasis on business related skills. Through the program, talented youths are detected, nurtured, placed strategically to run AFCHAM missions or simply let go in case they want to stand on their own feet.

We are partners of The World Bank Group (WBG) with which on the 2nd June, 2017 we organized a conference on Global Job Opportunities for International Students in China where over 40 postgraduate students attended.

Today, we are glad to inform you that the application for the 2019 Selection Process for the Young Professionals Program is open from June 14 to July 31, 2018 (midnight EST).

Do you have a passion for international development and the leadership potential to grow in fascinating top technical and managerial roles in the World Bank Group (WBG)?

So then, don’t miss this unique opportunity allowing you to start an exciting career at the World Bank Group.

To be competitive for this highly selective program, candidates need to demonstrate a commitment to development, proven academic success, professional achievement, and leadership capability. For the eligibility, program features, selection cycle, and application process visit the link below:

http://www.worldbank.org/en/about/careers/programs-and-internships/young-professionals-program#a

Today is time to create your Future!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills Development Forum (YEES-Forum)| 2016

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills Development Forum (YEES-Forum)| 2016

Theme: ‘Enhancing partnerships for 21st Century Skills: youth as job creators, not job seekers.’

The African Union Commission in collaboration with ECOWAS, the National Agency for the Promotion of Youth Employment in Senegal and YALI are pleased to announce a call for applications to the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills Development Forum (YEES-Forum). The forum aims at bringing young African entrepreneurs to learn, network, share experiences and good practices, motivate each other and showcase their businesses and thereby be an inspiration to one another. The YEES forum is scheduled to be held from the 5th of October to the 7th of October in Dakar Senegal. This forum targets the Francophone Countries and follows the inaugural forum that was held in Kenya in 2014 targeting Anglophone Countries. 

The YEES forum is driven by the realisation that interventions focused on linkages will improve the value chain by enabling the flow of critical services through embedded arrangements. In addition to peer to peer linkages, these interventions shall also focus on linking regional competitive youth entrepreneurs to industry champions thus addressing some of the challenges faced by young people, particularly women in business and providing a platform for peer learning. 

The forum aims to attract entrepreneurs with scalable businesses who are currently employers of labour and are interested in working towards a better Africa.

Participants at the forum will benefit from:

  • Improved business development skills through practical workshops;
  • Collaborative learning and sharing of experiences to increase success rates for
    business start-ups among young entrepreneurs;
  • Opportunity to identify successful business men or women to act as Mentors
    for young entrepreneurs;
  • Opportunities to engage with young entrepreneurs in dynamic sectors of the emerging intra-Africa trade including extractives and agri-business.

The program will include:

  • Training: Training sessions on core business development including building
    a sustainable financial structure and personal development. The sessions will
    also introduce participants to various mentoring techniques as well as new tools for effective mentoring.
  • Exhibition: This exhibition will give opportunity to young entrepreneurs to
    showcase their products and explore new market opportunities. Business
    development service providers will also be invited to proffer advice to the young entrepreneurs.
  • Field Visits: Participants visit a successful enterprise owned by young
    entrepreneurs in the host country. This is expected to inspire the participants
    and serve as successful models for their own enterprise development and
    management.
  • Experience Sharing: Key business organizations and leaders will be identified
    to facilitate the forum. The regional entrepreneurship development platform to
    be established shall provide back stopping for experience sharing, mentoring
    and business development services

Date and Venue: The YEES Forum will take place from 5th to 7th of October 2016 in Dakar Senegal.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Open to Citizens of African Francophone Countries;
  • African youth between the ages of 15 and 35. Women are strongly encouraged
    to apply;
  • Must be able to speak and work in at least one AU working language (English,
    French, Arabic or Portuguese).

Participation Cost: Young entrepreneurs can sponsor themselves to this workshop and there is also a limited number of scholarships available to entrepreneurs. Please indicate if you will be interested in sponsorship while applying.

Interested participants are therefore requested to express their interest in
participating in this forum by applying via the following link:
http://bit.ly/fodej2016 on the 12 September 2016 by 11:59pm (EAT).

We are looking forward to your application!

Land for Life Youth Social Media Activist Challenge

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Are You the ONE?
 

The Land for Life Youth Social Media Activists Challenge: “Are You the ONE?” campaign aims to recognize active, passionate and dedicated young people who are currently active in conserving natural resources and promoting such actions to their peers and local communities via social media. Winners' initiatives, stories, experience and /or challenges encountered, ideas or solutions will be communicated and highlighted through UNCCD’s various communication channels such as social media platforms and website. 


It is an Opportunity for individual and community projects / stories to get access to valuable networks and gain recognition from a worldwide audience. Thus we encourage all young people who are actively working for environmental justice to send us your initiatives and stories.Your stories could be in the form of short  documentaries, short videos, pictures, short stories, artistic work.

Who can Apply?  If you are  between 16-40 years old,  and you belong to the  group of young people  that will play a decisive role in shaping the future, we welcome your application. Please see the application guidelines for further details. 

Who is considered Youth Social Media Activist?
UNCCD secretariat considers a youth social media activist as young people who are passionate, dedicated and actively working to promote environmental justice; sustainable land and natural resources management or land conservation via different social channels and platforms.
If you are Bloggers, YouTubers, Young Journalists, Youth Leaders, Students, Artists, Celebrities, or young people who are active in social movements, community organizations, and have the quality of the mentioned Youth Social Media Activist, YOU may be the ONE we are looking for…

Open for submission: now till 31 October 2016

Language of​​ submission: Any of the six UN Languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian). If the content is NOT in English, please provide professional English translation.

How Winners will be rewarded:

  • Top 3 winners will be sponsored to attend a UNCCD International Youth Event co-organized with Future Forest 
  • Winners will be recognized as Land for Life Youth Social Media Activists for a period of one year and receiving a certificate.
  • Winners' story will be published and promoted through UNCCD communication channels.
  • Winners will be invited to present their work at international events.
  • Winners will be expected to promote all UNCCD campaigns with their networks.

For more details, please contact: L4L@unccd.int