YPARD Meeting on Sharing Country Experiences at the Africa Agricultural Science Week - AASW6

With over 40 young professionals supported to attend the 2013 African Agricultural Science Week (AASW), YPARD planned an event that could celebrate what young people have done on the continent in ARD and examine how we can work stronger, together.

The objectives of the side event were to bring together YPARD members, representatives and those supportive of youth and agriculture issues to share experiences of youth-led country activities examine the way forward in engaging youth in ARD through YPARD.

Presentations enabled representatives to share their experiences of activities that they have done in country.  These included:

1. The Africa regional coordinator Gbadebo Odularu, on the outcomes from the youth and the CAADP meeting;
2. The YPARD Cameroon representative, Divine Ntiokam
3. The YPARD Nigeria representative, Olawale Isaiah Ojo
4. The YPARD Cote D’Ivoire representative, Beatrice Dibi
5. The YPARD Senegal representative Rokhaya Sokhna

Anke Weisheit, YPARD Uganda representative presented on fundraising and partnership building, which generated a lot of interest and questions among the group.  YPARD is keen that representatives and active members develop the capacity to start fundraising on a country level for youth led activities to support youth in ARD.

Recommendations that emerged from the side event include

• Youth are motivated but also require capacity development to enable them to organize, develop partnerships and mobilize other youth to be active
• There are opportunities, but youth need support in finding out how to grab them
• Youth are partners that can work WITH you to address ARD issues
• YPARD is a mechanism through which youth in ARD can be strengthened. 

Through strengthening YPARD Africa, we hope to be able to meet the needs of national and local representatives to undertake youth-led activities on the ground that meet the expressed needs of young professionals in-country.

Thanks to everyone who took part!

Have a look to some pictures of the event on our "YPARD at AASW6" Facebook Album!