We are delighted to welcome a new steering committee member: Lako Mbouendeu Stephane.
Stephane is a graduate with a Masters degree in Water Resource Management and a Master of Engineering in Agronomy (specialized in Rural Engineering) from the University of Dschang, Cameroon. He is currently pursuing a PhD on Integrated Wetlands management under climate and urban pressure.
Stephane has been working as Head of Irrigation and Drainage Division in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for four years. As such, he supported the development of national water policy and the agricultural water policy (not yet officially endorsed) and is working towards growing interest in handling water scarcity with focus on young people. As water passionate, he is the focal point of the Water Youth Network to the global framework for water scarcity in agriculture in a changing climate (WASAG) and Co-coordinates the Disaster Risk Reduction team at Water Youth Network.
He started working in rural areas with youths since 2011; supporting them in developing business and subsistence agriculture. As an extension and technical advisor, Stephane has been supporting youth from the Creating Opportunity for Youth (CORY) program (financed by IFAD, 2011) and those from Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship training program (PFEA) (organized by Youth and Sustainable Development for Africa, since 2014) to develop agricultural business plans and create agricultural enterprises. He is now supporting cooperatives to build their capacities as a technical advisor for the agricultural investment and markets development support project in Cameroon.
Convinced that Youths can bring up solutions to existing and future development challenges, Stephane co-founded with some young colleagues the local NGO Water For Life Cameroon in 2014 to give them the opportunity to find/share solutions to all water-related problems and specifically water scarcity in agriculture. Thats why they are part of the Cameroon Agricultural Advisory Services Forum and they are engaged in many youth projects like EYD2R project. Besides, he invests much of his time training and lecturing in engineering schools in Cameroon since 2012.
As a YPARD Steering committee member, "an exciting position, because it is the opportunity to share views, ideas and solutions with a vibrant community of young professionals dedicated. It is also the possibility for me to call for more youth to invest their time, intellect and energy towards better food security and wealth in rural areas by youth through youths and with youths."
I expect to bring my ideas, energy and modest experience in mobilizing youth around food and water security issues as well as leveraging and mainstreaming youth initiatives in all possible ways to act (communication, research, innovation, project, good practices, ). Something YPARD has been doing very well and from which I too have to learn from. There must be more young people engaged in food and water security at all levels and scales.
Welcome on board Lako Mbouendeu Stéphane!
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