The Youth in Soil (YiS) initiative brought young people from different African countries to be part of the Global Soil Week 2019 conference. From over 300 applications, 13 young people from different African countries were selected and invited from Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Madagascar.
The two day side event trained the youth participants on the use of social media and blog writing as tools for structured agricultural communications, social media management for professionals and knowledge sharing on sustainable and climate resilient agriculture.
The aim of the YiS initiative was to include youth who have significant interest in contributing to the advancement of sustainable and climate resilient agriculture, as well as to promote information exchange (social media reporting) amongst the wider global community about the conference and the topics of discussion.
Following the active involvement of the YiS participants during the GSW 2019, this page is dedicated as a platform to host their reflections of the conference in the form of blog posts and articles. We invite you read, comment and share them throughout your networks!
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The woman of the soil
A blog post by Sally Kimathi
The Global Soil Week 2019 is over with much excitement of what the conference has achieved in a space of one week. On my return home from the conference, I paid keen attention to the greener landscape along the roadside. The countryside is a great place to relax; away from the air and noise pollution of the city. After such a busy week at the conference, the beautiful environment and the fresh air on the countryside is a timely well-deserved relaxation
Scaling-up Sustainable land management in Africa
A blog post by Atula Owade
The 2019 Global Soil Week event has an actionable theme of ‘Creating an Enabling Environment for Sustainable and Climate Resilient Agriculture in Africa’. In achieving the theme for the conference, it was said that Sustainable Land Management (SLM) cannot be achieved without government support and aside from policy formulation, governments also run institutions that can be used to push the SLM agenda.
Bridging the gap between global goals and local realities
A blog post by Atula Owade
When Dr. Alice Kaudia took to the stage, everyone kept quiet with the anxiousness to hear from the co-moderator for the Global Soil Week 2019. Everyone was keenly listening, as she conducted the opening plenary on day 3 of the Global Soil Week 2019. Highly experienced in agricultural and environmental sciences, she effortlessly bounced from one topic to another as she welcomed participants to the high-level segment of the conference, after the success of the technical segment.
Big Data – An Essential Ingredient For Sustainable Land Management
A blog post by Atula Owade
The third day of the Global Soil Week 2019 featured a plenary session in which representatives of various African governments made presentations. Each highlighted the efforts they were making towards achieving sustainable and climate resilient agriculture in their respective territories.
Accelerating collaboration for sustainable agriculture
A blog post by Abraham Ng’ondo
The art of doing starts with an action says my logic professor during the start of his lectures. He often mentioned that we need to think global but act local. I have never understood this statement until I attended the Global Soil Week 2019 conference.
Restoring ecosystem through youth engagement
A blog post by Atula Owade and John Agboola
The creation of an enabling environment for sustainable and climate resilient agriculture in Africa and across the globe requires a better understanding of the ecosystem and the importance of nature-based solutions. One of the outcomes of the Global Soil Week 2019 was the conclusion that protecting and rehabilitating soils is an urgent matter.
Becoming an Enthusiastic Female Farmer
A blog post by Dolapo Adeyanju
Opinions and discouragement from my family and friends that women cannot be a successful farmer almost make me re-think if I should consider a career in agriculture or opt for the trending course. Amid mixed opinions and doubts, I settled for a course in agricultural economics and extension.
Global Soil Week 2019: Re-engineering the Will for Local Actions
A blog post by Atula Owade
It is the fifth edition of the Global Soil Week 2019 and the conversations are lively. The several months of planning for the 2019 event by TMG Think Tank for Sustainability are showing results as experts from all over the world gathered on the evening of 26th May, 2019 at the Trademark Hotel Nairobi to commence this anticipated conference with a launch dinner. It is the evening of 26th May, 2019.
Women, the Heart of Humanity
A blog post by Nellie Kanyemba Kapatuka
There is no tool for development as effective as empowering women, says a famous quote by Kofi Anan. Women have the potential to do everything they put their heart to and, their contribution to agriculture, more especially in Africa, can never be underestimated.
Creating an enabling environment for African smallholder farmers
A blog post by Dolapo Adeyanju
In the context of Africa, scaling up agricultural production to drive value addition among smallholder farmers requires financing, strong institutional support, compatible infrastructures, improved technology and favorable policies.
From passion to career: Promoting African agriculture
A blog post by Esther Kiura
As a young girl growing in the rural drylands of lower Eastern Kenya, life was sweet but at times, nature was not forgiving as often said. Hence, I kept wondering if our forefathers have committed a crime that the current generation is now paying for.
Enabling environment for sustainable land use and management
A blog post by Nellie Kanyemba Kapatuka
For a long time, African countries have been heavily affected by effects of climate change ranging from soil erosion, degradation and drought among many others. Implementation of deliberate measures set aside by government and developmental partners still seem not to fully address such issues causing fear and anxiety among people especially the most rural communities in Africa.
Success factors in scaling sustainable land use
A blog post by Atula Owade
Human behavioral science remains one of the most interesting fields of study. I have been watching a series of lectures by Stanford University’s Prof. Robert Sapolsky on the topic around human behavioral change and I am always astonished by how omnipresent human behavioral science is, in our daily lives.
Demystifying extension and advisory services through learning
A blog post by Atula Owade
The Global Soil Week 2019 had a variety of topics to tackle regarding creating an enabling environment for African agriculture. There are several experts and project implementers from a diverse range of backgrounds partaking in the reviews and analysis of the topics around these cases.
Les pôles de croissance agricole, la panacée aux maux de l’agriculture africaine ?
Un article par José Herbert Ahodode
La Conférence internationale des Sols (Global Soil Week) s’est tenue à Nairobi (Kenya) du 26 au 30 mai 2019. Des échanges constructifs au cours de cette rencontre ont permis à divers acteurs de réfléchir sur les maux de l’agriculture africaine dans un contexte de changement climatique.
Global Week Soil 2019: Des “digital natives” associés au combat
Un article par Dieudonné Edouard Sango
Placée sous le thème “Créer un environnement propice à une agriculture durable et résiliente aux changements climatiques”, la cinquième édition de la Semaine mondiale des sols (Global Week Soil) connait pour la première fois une participation spéciale de la jeunesse.
Global Soil Week, Un appel à l’action au service de l’Agriculture Africaine
Un article par José Herbert Ahodode
L’engagement citoyen est un merveilleux voyage à la découverte de soi et des autres. C’est une noble aventure mais en même temps une passion à développer chez les jeunes. Je l’ai compris et depuis quelques années, j’essaie avec plusieurs groupes multiculturels de m’engager dans une direction, celle du développement des communautés.