Mentoring youth in agriculture program
Now more than ever, the world needs young people proactively contributing to innovative and environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural development. For humanity to adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures, rapid urbanisation and unpredictable weather events on agriculture we need to empower and nurture the next generation of farmers, researchers, entrepreneurs, scientists, industrialists and extension workers. YPARD believes that mentoring is crucial for capacity developing and ensure that young professionals are equipped with the right skills to thrive!
Due to COVID-19 we have paused our mentoring programs until further notice.
Past mentoring programs
NEPAL // 2017 // Student-farmer interaction program
‘Student-Farmer Interaction Program’ is a Mobile Approach for On-site Mentorship led by YPARD Nepal in collaboration and coordination with farmers’ groups and local partners. The program provided farmers with technical and/ or advisory information on production and management techniques, and at the same time facilitated two-way learning between agri-students and farmers. Completely novel of its type, the program lasted for five days during which a series of learning-exchange activities were carried out at farmer’s field to share ideas on crop production, management, and marketing based on two-way learning.
GLOBAL // 2017 // Young Agripreneurs Project - Mentoring Program
As part of the pilot Young Agripreneurs Project (YAP) six young agripreneurs with great ideas are being provided with seed funding and 12 months of business and leadership coaching and technical mentoring to facilitate the startup of their project. Read more at the GFAR blog: blog.gfar.net/tag/YAP
NEPAL // 2016 // EduMala mentoring program
CROATIA // 2016 // Elders teaching the Youth
PERU, PARIS, MOROCCO // 2014, 2015, 2016 // Youth in Landscapes Mentoring Program
The Youth in Landscapes Mentoring Program aims to capitalise on the face-to-face time that conferences enable, by pairing youth delegates with senior delegates attending the conference and encouraging them to attend a GLF session together. Following an extensive application and selection process, 22 youth from 17 countries have been partnered with 22 senior professionals from business, government, NGOs and research institutions. A small subset of these pairs were chosen to co-design a 6-12 month mentoring program, tailored to each of their needs, during a design sprint workshop on 5 December, 2015.
Read more about the Youth in Landscapes mentoring program: landscapes.org/glf-2015/youth-in-landscapes-initiative/mentoring-program
KENYA // 2015 // Face to face program
In June 2015, YPARD launched a 12-month pilot mentoring program in Kenya. 15 YPARD members - farmers, students, entrepreneurs, young scientists and extension workers from across Kenya – have been paired with mentors based on their sectors and skill sets.
Mentors and mentees first met during a three-day orientation workshop led by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) to consolidate the relationship and understanding in the mentor-mentee pairs, equipping them with communication, conflict resolution, networking and gender in the workplace skills. With support from their mentors, mentees developed a purpose road map and development journal, clearly outlining their 10 year visions/goals and the technical skills, interpersonal skills, academic/professional qualifications, behaviour change and action needed at each step of the way to reach their long term goal.
Each mentee met with their mentor for at least two hours per month (over the phone, Skype or face to face). See the profiles of pilot program mentors and mentees here: ypard.net/mentoring/profiles
ONLINE // 2015 // Online program for women in agribusiness
28 of YPARD’s female entrepreneurs were selected to spend 12 months working virtually one-on-one with a mentor to achieve key business goals. Mentees built their business skills and digital literacy through a comprehensive online training program.