How Uganda -Germany connection is empowering young farmers to bring positive change

Ugandan young farmers and their German colleagues March at a recent event

A rarely-talked about organization, perhaps because they are more of doers, than chest-thumpers, is quietly producing an impressively robust product of youth farmers, grounded in entrepreneurship on a global scale.

The Young Farmers’ Federation of Uganda UNYFA)—an umbrella organization for young farmers in Uganda started in 2016—has so far produced hundreds of such young farmers across the country.

UNYFA has several programs and projects in their portfolio of work. But my peep into what they do, landed me on what attracted my eye most. This is what they call: “The International Young Farmers’ Exchange Program (IYFEP).

Richard Ssemwanga and Dennis Kabiito, are the President and Coordinator of UNYFA respectively. They say IYFEP has since October 2019, produced 110 Ugandan young farmers as youth role models in their communities and 56 Germans as champions for international development.

“UNYFA together with Schorlemer Stiftung (or Foundation) & Andreas Hermes Akademie have organized the International Young Farmers Exchange Program (IYFEP) to strengthen cooperation between countries of the global North and the global South,” says Ssemwanga, a young farmer from Nakasongola, in Central Uganda.

In addition, Kabiito explains that IYFEP has played a role in educating and training of young farmers between Uganda and Germany especially on aspects of farm management, farm systems and culture through exposure and hands-on practical 3 months’ internship, all under funding by the DZ Bank Stiftung [German Bank Foundation] and the Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA).

A visit to The Andreas Hermes Academy online, shows that it has been involved in international development cooperation since 2006. “Initially it was about the training of business trainers on the basis of the b|u|s training program, which has been successful in Germany for many years. The Andreas Hermes Academy, based in Berlin, has focused on people for 75 years: Further education, organizational development and change management…,” the Academy states.

One of the key components for UNYFA members in entrepreneurship, is the Business Attitude Training (BAT), aimed at deepening the skills taught by qualified trainers in Uganda. “Skills taught by qualified trainers in Uganda, are on personality development and vision; project proposal writing; and business development,” states UNYFA.

We use our network of organized agriculture and invite incubators to the pitch event, it adds, further investors, mentors and our German host companies to the pitch event.

Kabiito discloses that the main aim of the IYFEP is to create a platform in which cooperation between the two countries and cultures is promoted and cultures and to create connections in the form of investments, mentorships or others. “Our goals are to impart entrepreneurial skills for young farmers from Uganda; promote the next generation of young farmers and promote young business ideas,” says Kabiito proudly.

Sam Magezi, UNYFA’s Agriculturalist, reaffirms that UNYFA is driven by the desire to have a holistically transformed youth in agriculture for a sustainable economy. IYFEP started in October, 2019 in the 9-year-old UNYFA to facilitate networking among agricultural enthusiasts from Germany and Uganda through 3-month internships on farms.
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A total of 110 Ugandans and 58 German young farmers have participated in the exchange program. The North-South-Pitch Event has showcased business proposals of Ugandan IYFEP Alumni, who underwent an intensive BAT after their participation in IYFEP,” explains Magezi, also the UNYFA Programs Manager.

The UNYFA-Schorlemer Stiftung and Andreas Hermes Akademie pitch event held November 19, 2024 at Uganda National Farmers’ Federation (UNFFE) Hall, Nakasero in Kampala, hosted live via zoom, the UNYFA’s German counterpart farmers and funders. Looking back, Magezi says IYFEP has served as a future platform for agriculture and rural areas for new ideas and innovations.

The Andreas Hermes Akademie, together with the German Farmers’ Association and experts from the German agricultural and food industries, has also been involved in countries in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa for a number of years. The focus is on personality development within the framework of entrepreneurial and leadership training, which strengthens people to think and act on their own responsibility. We also focus on strengthening member-supported organizations such as farmers’ associations, networks of young farmers, cooperatives and similar forms of cooperation between farmers and other actors in the value chains of agriculture.

Sam Magezi reiterates that the competence development of our partner with regard to the selection criteria of young farmers is critical. Those already trained, matched with German counterparts to experience modern farming in the Federal Republic and return home (Uganda or Germany), are our Alumni. “This program is here to offer a platform for development business ideas for IYFEP for young farmers,” Magezi explains.H

He gives an overview of the IYFEP Alumni Program as follows:

• 31 IYFEP Alumni applied for the Program (handed a synopsis of their business ideas)
• 12 candidates were selected by UNYFA & Schorlemer Stiftung; they received business training & on roll-out for a start-up funding.
• 4 participants emerged and took part in the Nov. 19, North-South Pitch Event. They had received on-business coaching with business experts. They received further funding for their business ideas.

In as far as UNYFA is concerned, it currently has 78-member associations with over 41,000 individual young farmers. Its vision is to produce “holistically transformed youth in agriculture for sustainable economy” and the mission is to “mobilize and empower youth in agriculture for socio-economic development.”

The UNYFA which is independent of its mother UNFFE, lists her Core Values as: Teamwork; Accountability (Transparency); Commitment and Inclusion (Equity for All).
Their key Development areas: include Institutional development/Professionalization, Advocacy; Services: Linkage, network Food security and income security of the youth; Environment and natural resource management.
Business Training, which produces entrepreneurial youth, dwells intensively on:
• Personality training (mindset change, business attitude)
• Market research
• Preparation of a business plan
• Personal financial management (budgeting)
• Business pitching
The costing, according to their budget, to develop the selected 12 up to a refined 4 best plans, is:
Support for business ideas for 12 400 4,800
Start up financing 4 best plans 300 1,200
Total: 6,600 euros

Up to a total of six thousand, six hundred Euros was spent on these outstanding young farmers, who excelled in initiating and developing impressively promising enterprises, which would be a big international products/business.

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