Youth in Agriculture and Opportunities Mentorship

Agriculture is and will still be an important sector of the Kenyan economy. As a result of its importance, the sector presents an opportunity for the creation of employment to the many youths entering the job market every year.

However, the decreasing numbers of youth enrolling in agricultural courses and the few who are involved in farming as an occupation is a national signal of distress in the agricultural sector. The situation is exacerbated by the perception held by many youths that agriculture is a career of last resort, one of drudgery, one with low monetary benefits and a preserve of the old. It is no wonder the average age of a farmer in Kenya is 60 years.

This Program seeks to revitalize youth in agriculture by bridging the identified knowledge/skills gap and provide a platform for mentorship by agricultural professionals to increase the youth opportunities and experience. It is anticipated that this will be effective in changing the negative mindset that students and graduates harbor about agriculture as a profession.

The program will also build the students’ capacity on modern agribusiness techniques and on climate-smart agriculture. Through this, it will facilitate and connect the students/new graduates with young successful agripreneurs and agribusiness specialists for mentorship and experience training on the prospects and opportunities of venturing into farming and agricultural entrepreneurship.

Lastly, the students will be linked with internships and job opportunities in agricultural-related organizations to help integrate their classroom knowledge and theory with practical application in a professional or community setting for problem-solving and inventions in the sector.