About The Consortium of African Youth in Agriculture and Climate Change
In July 2021, African Youth in Agriculture and Climate Change convened a joint dialogue on food systems as part of the pre-United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) events. The three-day dialogue was convened by Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program Youth Network (CYN), and Africa Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) with support from USAID-Policy LINK and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). A unanimous decision by participating African youth was to establish a unifying Youth Network through which they would contribute to the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) agricultural development policy agenda and climate change policy agenda via United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) processes.
Mr. Emmanuel Ngore, Kenya
Mr. Emmanuel Ngore works with USAID Policy Link in Nairobi. He is the Facilitator of the Consortium for African Youth in Agriculture and Climate Change. He has a background in Environmental Science (First Degree) and hold a Master of Environmental Management from The Open University in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.
Mr. Ngore has over 7 years professional experience in project management spanning Agricultural and climate change policy, Natural Resources Management, and ecosystems governance. Emmanuel also worked as a consultant with UNEP where he provided technical support to member states of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to meet several National Reporting requirements.
Emmanuel has represented Youth in National, continental, and global agricultural development and climate change policy engagements. He is the former Head of secretariat for CAADP Youth Network Africa.
Ms. Olorato Sebitla, Botswana
Ms. Olorato T. Sebitla is an Accredited Business and Agricultural trainer, consultant at Mmapolasi AgriVenture, and the current Head of the Secretariat of the CAADP Youth Network Africa. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Agribusiness from the London Academy of Professional Training (UK), an Associate Degree in Business Management from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, a Human Resource, Strategic and Projects Management expert in different economic sectors, and holds multiple short course certificates.
Ms. Olorato brings rich experience in building national capacities in agricultural development in her country. She has mentored many other young people in Botswana who are now practicing sustainable and profitable agricultural ventures. As a young leader within the CAADP Youth Network (CYN) in Africa, she will be able to embed the values of CAADP implementation capacities into the National chapters of CYN.
Mr. Dalitso Luke Mbewe, Zambia
Dalitso Mbewe is a seasoned Development Practitioner with ten years of experience in development work in the local, national, and international spheres. He currently serves as Executive Director of the CAADP Youth Network (CYN), a platform that facilitates the participation of young players in shaping continental policy to maximize their benefits from agricultural value chains. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Legal Theory from Rhodes University as well as numerous certifications in Securities Exchange, Cooperative Development, Accountability for Sustainability, inter alia. His development work, particularly in the agricultural and agri-business sectors has been founded on the four pillars of enhancing opportunities through access to finance, land, capacity development, and markets.
He previously served as a Socio-Economic Planner at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in Zambia, Enterprise Development Officer at the Zambia Development Agency, and Deputy Secretary General at the Pan African Youth Union.
Ms. Sally Mukami, Kenya
Sally Mukami is an experienced economist and research analyst, with a blend
from both the public and private sectors. She is a member of the Africa Youth Initiative for Climate Change (AYICC). Professionally, she is working with The National Treasury of Kenya (Financial Control and Capacity Building Division) as an Economist trained on Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations and Global Climate Finance Architecture. Prior to joining the National Treasury, she worked at International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) as a socio-economic research consultant modelling Covid-19 impacts on Food Security and Students’ Performance in Africa using Systems thinking and System Dynamics Approach.
She holds a Collaborative Msc in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Egerton University and the University of Pretoria, South Africa with a specialization in Agricultural Policy and Trade. She also holds a Bsc in Economics and Statistics (First class honors) from Egerton University.
Dr. Mwaka Namukonda, Zambia
Dr. Mwaka Namukonda is an experienced trade expert and entrepreneur with hands on experience of working on trade facilitations business and investment analysis. She is member of the AfCTA Youth Advisory Council.
With key interest on the Lobito Corridor trade facilitation project, she works hand in hand with the Zambian ministry of commerce and trade research determined to see the impact of trade facilitation on intra-African trade.Having volunteered with social impacting organizations like Harvest fund, she has experienced working with women farmers in rural areas.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and a Master on International Trade from the University of Dar Es Salaam and is currently pursuing her PhD in General Management with Sharda University in India.
Mr. Olumide Idowu, Nigeria
Mr. Olumide is a Nigerian climate action champion advocating for environmental consciousness and a balanced approach to development and environmental conservation. He has for the last 12 years been actively involved in climate change advocacy years including digital advocacy using his social media platform ‘Mr.
Climate’.
He currently the Executive Coordinator of the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) and a co-founder of the International Climate Change Development Initiative ICCDI), a non-governmental institution that seeks to grow a climate-smart generation in Africa. He is the Youth Focal Point in Nigeria for UNDP Small Grant Program and was a Lead Author for UNEP’s Global Environmental Outlook for the Youth in Africa (GEO6). He is an alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) to the United State of America and an Atlas Corps Fellow.
Through the years, he has worked with corporates, and the media, strategized for various private and public institutions, and volunteered and mentored in various social change initiatives.
Mr. Kofi Kisiedu Acquaye, Ghana
Kofi Kisiedu Acquaye is the Regional Coordinator for the Young Professionals in Agricultural Development (YPARD), Africa, which is hosted by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). He manages the activities of YPARD’s country chapters in Africa geared towards developing the youth as agricultural development experts. In his work, he helps communicate on agricultural activities in Africa meant to enable and empower young agricultural leaders in the region to shape sustainable food systems.
Kofi’s experience beyond youth engagement in agriculture includes training and management of farmer-based organisations. He studied Post Harvest Technology at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana. He also holds a master’s degree in Development Communication from the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
Dr. WAFA MISRAR
Dr. WAFA MISRAR recently graduated and earned a Ph.D. in materials and environmental chemistry from the University of Cadi Ayyad, Morocco.
Her research, conducted in collaboration with the University of Toulon in France, focuses mainly on the development of ceramic membranes (derived from fly-ash and clay) for the filtration of wastewater using biological materials.
Of particular interest is wastewater reuse in irrigation and material recycling towards overall environmental footprint reduction.
Earlier, she served as an intern at the University of Pisa’s Department of Chemistry (Industrial Chemistry Laboratory), where she worked on the effects of organic waste on the porosity of manufactured ceramic membranes.
She has facilitated and was involved in several youth-led processes at the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, United Nations, International Water Association, Rotary and other international Organizations as a Young Professionel Researcher.
Her articles have been published in leading journals. Her research has also attracted a number of awards and has earned her regular invitations to speak at scientific events in Morocco and abroad.
Malama Malama, Zambia
Malama Malama,Vice President, Zambia Young Emerging Farmers Association (ZAYEFA)
Malama Malama is a visionary leader at the forefront of youth-driven agricultural development in Zambia. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Banking and Finance from Liutebm University, he combines financial acumen with an unyielding passion for agriculture.
Drawing from eight years of experience, Malama has cultivated strategic collaborations with government agriculture ministries, development agencies, and fellow youth organizations. He has transformed ZAYEFA into a catalyst for change by establishing innovative financial programs, capacity development initiatives, and strategic partnerships that empower young farmers.
Beyond his academic achievements, Malama's international training from reputable organizations including UNCTAD, African Food Change Makers-(Building Resilience Against Climate and Environmental Shocks-BRACE program), World Bank Development in Research Program, Ruforum-Agricultural Policy, and 4IP LLC: Impact Investment strategies for social enterprises underscores his commitment to excellence.
Malama envisions a future where youth shape agricultural innovation, ensuring food security and rural economic growth. His leadership reflects inclusivity, collaboration, and unwavering dedication to youth empowerment. From finance to farming, Malama's journey exemplifies his ability to create sustainable change through expertise and international insights.