From 10–12 November 2025, Ajuna Tadeo, YPARD’s Programme Coordinator and a Global Programme for Small-Scale Agroecology Producers and sustainable Food Systems Transformation (GP-SAEP) Agroecology Youth Fellow for Bugiri District, attended the AERAS Workshop organized by the Global Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (GFRAS).
The AERAS Workshop was held at Courtyard by Marriott Dakar Diamniadio, Sortie 11 Autoroute A Peage, À Côté du Stade Abdoulaye Wade, Diamniadio, Dakar, Senegal 10200.
Workshop Background:
GFRAS received approval to negotiate a 6-month No Cost Extension of the AERAS project from both IFAD and AGRIDEA (extending ground activities from 30June 2026 to 30 December 2026). To obtain formal approval, GFRAS needed to submit a proposal for budget reallocation along with justifications in the coming weeks. Additionally, GFRAS partners need to align on the remaining M&E and Experience Capitalization deliverables scheduled for 2026.
· Present the AERAS project in a side event of the GFRAS GAM (for the Senegal workshop only)
· Develop the 2026 AWPB
· Develop the budget reallocation for the no-cost extension
· Align on harvesting knowledge products through Experience Capitalization and Scientific Goggles
· Align on the M&E deliverables pending for 2026
Additionally, GFRAS held its yearly Annual Meeting (GAM) from 11–14November 2025 in Dakar, Senegal, on the theme “Rural Advisory Services in Higher Education and in Agricultural Policies and Programs.” This event brought together over 250 participants and offered an opportunity to showcase the AERAS project. On 10th November 2025, on the sidelines of the GFRAS Annual General Meeting (GAM) side event held at the Centre International de Conférences Abdou Diouf (CICAD), Pôle Urbain de Diamniadio, BP 4026, Rufisque, Senegal, the GP-SAEP project partners made presentations based on their work in the GP-SAEP project. These included:
· YPARD: How AERAS has motivated youth to agroecology and extension
· Access Agriculture: Integration of digital technologies as a competency and how this is done in collaboration with the extension system; benefits of combining ERA teams and RAS facilitators
· UFAAS: How to scale and share learnings from different projects across the region
Ajuna Tadeo, on behalf of YPARD and drawing from his experience as a Youth Fellow in the GPSAEP project, made a presentation titled “How the ÆRAS Initiative Has Motivated Youth to Agroecology and Extension.” Tadeo expressed that through the GPSAEP project , there was a growing number of young leaders transforming agriculture into a more sustainable and inclusive sector witnessed. He added that YPARD’s role was Under Component 3: "Accelerating Agroecological Transformation through Rural Advisory Services (RAS), YPARD has been instrumental in empowering youth and extension actors to promote participatory, farmer-led approaches to agroecology.
In his presentation, he highlighted how YPARD’s work in knowledge dissemination, mentorship, networking, capacity building, and advocacy is inspiring youth to take leadership in their communities. Through activities such as YPARD Cafés, Youth Communities of Practice, and mentorship programmes giving an example where the project youth fellows have all been assigned mentors for agroecology mentorship and coaching, young professionals are not only learning but also co-creating solutions with farmers, bridging traditional and scientific knowledge, and fostering peer-to-peer learning.
The impact of the GP SAEP to the fellows in AERAS has been remarkable, Tadeo noted. He gave examples of the GP SAEP Youth fellows who are embracing agroecological practices, leading field demonstrations, and representing their peers in regional platforms such as the Africa wide Agriculture Extension Week in held in Malawi and the Eastern Africa Agroecology Conference in Nairobi Kenya. These engagements have strengthened youth visibility, confidence, and collaboration across networks like YPARD, Access Agriculture, the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS), and GFRAS.
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