Support Next Generation of Farmers in The Gambia
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Support Modou Sowe to increase youth participation in the agriculture value chain of The Gambia for employment, economic development and food security.
As the first Next Generation Leader of McCain Institute for International Leadership from The Gambia and an intern with Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), selected in the Capacity of the National Youth Coordinator of National Coordinating Organization for Farmers Associations The Gambia, Modou has undergone various training on leadership and agriculture practices with farmers and farms around California and hopes to implement these practices learned in The Gambia to improve agricultural production.
These funds shall be used to establish an organic no-till farm and a livestock farm that will be a demonstration centre and training academy to train and support youth farmers. The farm will produce and sell crops and livestock to generate income for self-sufficiency and will pay youth interns to lead production. The farm will promote the concept of no-till organic farming that is climate and environmentally friendly, not labour intensive and easy to start. The concept of no-till and organic farming is yet to introduce as a farming system in The Gambia.
CAFF Head office - Davis, California
McCain Institute - Next Generation Leaders, Cohort 2018/19
About Modou Sowe, the McCain Institute and CAFF
Modou Sowe was born to a farming family from where he learned to farm. In 2005, he helped organize his community youths to form a community-based organization to combat against the ever increasing livestock thefts. This organization expanded nationwide and in 2015 the Ministry of Agriculture organized a national convergence to form the National Livestock Owners Association in which he is the Secretary-General. In the same year, he is also the National Coordinating Organization for Farmers Associations The Gambia (NACOFAG) as the National Youth Coordinator.
Modou was selected to take part in a one-year leadership training program by McCain Institute for International Leadership. The McCain Institute’s flagship Next Generation Leaders program is designed to identify, train, network and empower a diverse group of emerging, character-driven leaders from the United States and around the world. Next Generation Leaders are individuals with varying professional backgrounds, who even in their early-to-mid-careers have demonstrated extraordinary character, commitment to core human values and capacity for future leadership. He is doing his internship with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) in Davis, California. CAFF is working statewide, running extensive, on-the-ground programs in many regions throughout CA. it helps family farmers increase their income and sustainability while enabling community members and businesses to find and choose local food.
These practices learned are to be implemented to support, motivate and increase youth participation in the agriculture value chain of The Gambia for youth employment, economic development and food security.
Modou & Paul Kaiser - Training at Singing Frogs Farm (an Organic No-Till Farm) - Sebastopol, California
More about the Project
The project will support a planned business model of mixed farming. The farm that will have poultries, small ruminants (Sheep and goats) with an organic vegetable garden (No-Till). This farm will operate with an entrepreneurship concept that will grow crops, breed livestock, sell and reinvesting on the sector as a tool to attract youths into the sector and provide training youth farmers. It will establish a sustainable farm for income generation while directly for supporting the government to combat food insecurity and youth unemployment is the major concept of this farm.
This project aims at increasing youth participation in the agricultural value chain for employment, economic independence, and food security by establishing a farm that will generate income through leadership by actions or by doing. The project will increase the awareness of youths on the opportunities, provide training, establish a mini farm academy, host interns in partnership with experts to train young farmers at the farms. It will also seek to develop better market systems such as market information sharing, entrepreneur skills, Community Support Agriculture among others. In this process, the project will conduct radio and TV talk shows, media sensitization and awareness campaigns, farmer to farmer field visits, farmers’ etc. The specific target for this project is youths, considering it as a gender balance beneficiary for both personal development and national development.
Country Profile
The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa and one of the poorest countries in the world with a population of 1.8 million people, of which over 65% are youth. The Gambian youths are affected by high rates of unemployment, poverty and dependency. This leaves young people without options to succeed, forcing many to travel illegally by land and sea to Europe, engage in illegal activities or remain jobless. Young people with incredible potential have nowhere to go and Modou is delighted to use the farming skills learned in the USA to use agriculture as an option for their employment.
Training at ALBA Farms - Salinas, California
Cindy McCain & Modou Sowe - During a training module in New York City
Exploring the agricultural value chain of The Gambia will provide the youths with permanent employment opportunities that will help develop their economic strength to reduce dependence ratio while it will directly help the government to overcome its ever-increasing challenges of food insecurity, youths and women unemployment and reduce the high dependency ratio of the people. These activities will help reduce crimes related to youth activities examples street fights, illegal drug abuse, illegal migration, rapes, illegal sex workers among others.
The concept of this project is to support women and youths participation in the agricultural value to provide employment opportunities, economic development and reduce dependence ratio while directly supporting the government in combating food security and youth unemployment.
Budget Estimates
Fixed Assets:
Land: 13,000
Fencing and housing: 8,500
Transport: 4,000
Water Supply/Boreholes: 6,000
General farm equipment: 2,500
Operations:
Stocks:
Seeds: 1,000
Sheep: 2,500
Goats: 2,000
Poultry: 1,000
General Supplies
Livestock feed and Vaccines: 5,000
Training Budget:
- Interns 2,500
- Training programs 4,000
Total budget: $52,000
As the first Next Generation Leader of McCain Institute for International Leadership from The Gambia and an intern with Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), selected in the Capacity of the National Youth Coordinator of National Coordinating Organization for Farmers Associations The Gambia, Modou has undergone various training on leadership and agriculture practices with farmers and farms around California and hopes to implement these practices learned in The Gambia to improve agricultural production.
These funds shall be used to establish an organic no-till farm and a livestock farm that will be a demonstration centre and training academy to train and support youth farmers. The farm will produce and sell crops and livestock to generate income for self-sufficiency and will pay youth interns to lead production. The farm will promote the concept of no-till organic farming that is climate and environmentally friendly, not labour intensive and easy to start. The concept of no-till and organic farming is yet to introduce as a farming system in The Gambia.
CAFF Head office - Davis, California
McCain Institute - Next Generation Leaders, Cohort 2018/19
About Modou Sowe, the McCain Institute and CAFF
Modou Sowe was born to a farming family from where he learned to farm. In 2005, he helped organize his community youths to form a community-based organization to combat against the ever increasing livestock thefts. This organization expanded nationwide and in 2015 the Ministry of Agriculture organized a national convergence to form the National Livestock Owners Association in which he is the Secretary-General. In the same year, he is also the National Coordinating Organization for Farmers Associations The Gambia (NACOFAG) as the National Youth Coordinator.
Modou was selected to take part in a one-year leadership training program by McCain Institute for International Leadership. The McCain Institute’s flagship Next Generation Leaders program is designed to identify, train, network and empower a diverse group of emerging, character-driven leaders from the United States and around the world. Next Generation Leaders are individuals with varying professional backgrounds, who even in their early-to-mid-careers have demonstrated extraordinary character, commitment to core human values and capacity for future leadership. He is doing his internship with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) in Davis, California. CAFF is working statewide, running extensive, on-the-ground programs in many regions throughout CA. it helps family farmers increase their income and sustainability while enabling community members and businesses to find and choose local food.
These practices learned are to be implemented to support, motivate and increase youth participation in the agriculture value chain of The Gambia for youth employment, economic development and food security.
Modou & Paul Kaiser - Training at Singing Frogs Farm (an Organic No-Till Farm) - Sebastopol, CaliforniaMore about the Project
The project will support a planned business model of mixed farming. The farm that will have poultries, small ruminants (Sheep and goats) with an organic vegetable garden (No-Till). This farm will operate with an entrepreneurship concept that will grow crops, breed livestock, sell and reinvesting on the sector as a tool to attract youths into the sector and provide training youth farmers. It will establish a sustainable farm for income generation while directly for supporting the government to combat food insecurity and youth unemployment is the major concept of this farm.
This project aims at increasing youth participation in the agricultural value chain for employment, economic independence, and food security by establishing a farm that will generate income through leadership by actions or by doing. The project will increase the awareness of youths on the opportunities, provide training, establish a mini farm academy, host interns in partnership with experts to train young farmers at the farms. It will also seek to develop better market systems such as market information sharing, entrepreneur skills, Community Support Agriculture among others. In this process, the project will conduct radio and TV talk shows, media sensitization and awareness campaigns, farmer to farmer field visits, farmers’ etc. The specific target for this project is youths, considering it as a gender balance beneficiary for both personal development and national development.
Country Profile
The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa and one of the poorest countries in the world with a population of 1.8 million people, of which over 65% are youth. The Gambian youths are affected by high rates of unemployment, poverty and dependency. This leaves young people without options to succeed, forcing many to travel illegally by land and sea to Europe, engage in illegal activities or remain jobless. Young people with incredible potential have nowhere to go and Modou is delighted to use the farming skills learned in the USA to use agriculture as an option for their employment.
Training at ALBA Farms - Salinas, California Cindy McCain & Modou Sowe - During a training module in New York CityExploring the agricultural value chain of The Gambia will provide the youths with permanent employment opportunities that will help develop their economic strength to reduce dependence ratio while it will directly help the government to overcome its ever-increasing challenges of food insecurity, youths and women unemployment and reduce the high dependency ratio of the people. These activities will help reduce crimes related to youth activities examples street fights, illegal drug abuse, illegal migration, rapes, illegal sex workers among others.
The concept of this project is to support women and youths participation in the agricultural value to provide employment opportunities, economic development and reduce dependence ratio while directly supporting the government in combating food security and youth unemployment.
Budget Estimates
Fixed Assets:
Land: 13,000
Fencing and housing: 8,500
Transport: 4,000
Water Supply/Boreholes: 6,000
General farm equipment: 2,500
Operations:
Stocks:
Seeds: 1,000
Sheep: 2,500
Goats: 2,000
Poultry: 1,000
General Supplies
Livestock feed and Vaccines: 5,000
Training Budget:
- Interns 2,500
- Training programs 4,000
Total budget: $52,000
Fundraising team: McCain Institute, CAFF (4)
Modou Sowe
Organiser
Washington D.C., DC
Pocsuvalszki Aliz
Team member
Rachel Hunkler
Team member
Yousef Buzayan
Team member