Welcoming YPARD Uganda representative: Paul Zaake

We are delighted to welcome the new YPARD Uganda representative Paul Zaake.

Paul is a graduate with a Masters’ degree in Climate Change and Adaptation from the University of Nairobi, Kenya and a Bachelors’ degree of Agriculture from Gulu University.

Driven by his constantly growing optimism on young people becoming more active in the agricultural sector and in global development, Paul decided to join YPARD. It is not surprising that he is a co-founder of the six-year-old non-profit organization known as Rakai Environmental Conservation Programme (RECO). Through RECO he promotes sustainable agricultural practices and helps improve environmental conservationas well as inspire many in his community- particularly the youth to engage in sustainable agriculture. No wonder he is a graduated fellow at the prestigious Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Center East Africa- a popular place to go for leadership training.

Just this year, he set up the Fruits Village Initiative for solar drying of fruits for both the local and international market. The Fruits Village Initiative was ranked number one in a competitive business plan competition organized by Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) in the month of March in Uganda. Fruits Village was also shortlisted among the 25 best technologies in Tanzania after the East Africa Postharvest Technologies Competition organized by the Inter Region Economic Network (IREN) which  attracted 249 entries from across East Africa states.  The venture was also among the few enterprises that exhibited to over 800 participants at the international conference "ONE World No Hunger. Future of the Rural World" in Germany in late April.

Through his activities with RECO and engagements with various actors in the agricultural sector he has amassed  experience in farmer training, building entrepreneurship skills of young people, cottage industries trainings, and environmental conservation advocacy among others.

His passion for international engagements and public diplomacy with the aim of making the youth better is evident in the various activities he engages in. He has on various occasions represented the Ugandan youth at conferences for youth in agriculture. Among such conferences are the United Nation’s Conference of the Youth on Climate Change in France just before COP21; the African Youth Conference on Climate Change in Kenya; the launching of the Uganda National Youth Manifesto in Uganda and the Pan-African Youth Conference on Urbanization, Hazardous Chemicals and Waste in Kenya. In late March and April 2017, he participated in the development of the Berlin Charter for Rural Development at Bonn and Berlin (Germany) respectively.

"I dream of YPARD Uganda  supporting members all the more to actively advocate sustainable agriculture and related issues like unemployment, gender and climate change. During my tenure in office, I will  work to realize this by liasing with various partners in the name of YPARD to hold high level discussions and co-host events with focus on youth in agriculture. I am eager to work with collective ideas from the able youth in his country’s chapter of the YPARD."

Paul is determined to continue the good work of Sylvia Natakunda Mwesigwa, the former representative for YPARD Uganda. He hopes to launch a localized monthly newsletter to regularly update the local YPARD movement on local activities.  

We express our profound gratitude to Sylvia  for her hard work done with the country chapter.

Welcome on board Paul Zaake.

If you are from or based in Uganda, and want to get involved in YPARD Uganda activities, please contact Paul at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..