International Youth Day 2023

NewsPublished on: Aug 9 2023

Green knowledge and skills for our future leaders

This International Youth Day, join us to celebrate the tenacity of our sisters in the CAMFED Association, who are leading action on climate change in their communities.

By supporting CAMFED, you’re supporting graduates to train and lead as Agriculture Guides — equipping smallholder farmers with sustainable farming skills — and to join forces with their sisters who are Learner Guides to bring climate education into classrooms and communities across Africa!

Green skills for young people

“The climate-smart Agriculture Program is something that has been brought to us by the CAMFED Association members. They are teaching us at school. We really enjoy learning about climate change and climate-smart agriculture because it opens our minds. I didn’t know that climate had everything to do with agriculture until the climate-smart agriculture came in. Sometimes I also used to wonder what would happen to this beautiful world after the damage was done it to. But then I discovered that there was a way of bringing it back to form.” — Choolwe, Secondary Student, Zambia

Secondary school students Kundananji and Choolwe have been taking part in climate education sessions run by CAMFED Agriculture Guides and Association members. These sessions in are inspiring students in rural Zambia to get involved in climate related efforts, such as tree-planting initiatives and raising awareness of climate change at home. CAMFED Association members are encouraging girls to consider climate-smart farming as a career, contributing to sustainable food systems and helping them to forge their path to independence.

Igniting climate activism

“I believe that everyone regardless of age, is important in the fight against climate change. ” — Natasha, youth advocate and climate activist, Zambia

Natasha is a CAMFED Association member in Zambia with a degree in Environmental Management, who advocates for education and environmental protection. She’s spreading the message of environmental stewardship far and wide—broadcasting her knowledge on a local language radio program that reaches up to 20 million listeners! Educated with CAMFED’s support, Natasha is multiplying the benefits of her education by supporting the next generation of girls through school and equipping them with knowledge to build a sustainable future.

Young people leading the green transition

CAMFED’s Learner Guides – recent school graduates, who volunteer as peer mentors at their local schools – are starting to deliver climate education content as part of their weekly timetabled sessions on life skills and wellbeing. The content was developed with ministries of agriculture and climate experts, as well as with input from children, teachers and young women.

Young people are using their green skills and knowledge to launch sustainable businesses, help their families implement strategies to mitigate climate shocks, and raise their voices at local, national, and global level to implement green policies and make the world a better place for everyone.

Watch Naomi and other Agriculture Guides in our Sisterhood give a tour our climate-smart teaching farm in Zambia

In this video and accompanying article from The Evening Standard, you’ll hear from climate-smart Agriculture Guide Naomi and her CAMFED sisters, who are are leading climate action and education in the rural communities surrounding the farm. They’re bringing climate education into the classroom at their local secondary school to help students understand climate change and how it affects them, equip them with practical information and skills to keep themselves safer in climate emergencies, and support them to be the climate leaders of tomorrow.

Discover more on The Evening Standard website

Climate change is threatening the most vulnerable, but investing in girls’ education and female farmers is a solution

A rapidly changing climate is disrupting harvests, causing water shortages, floods, and extreme weather events across Africa. Disadvantaged rural communities, women, girls and those with disabilities bear the brunt of these impacts. When families are affected by crop failures, their livelihoods become precarious, pushing girls and vulnerable students out of school. But CAMFED’s climate-smart Agriculture Guides — young, educated women with sustainable agriculture expertise — are tackling these issues head on. They are cascading sustainable farming knowledge and techniques to thousands more farmers across Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, supporting communities to build resilience and combat malnutrition.

Cascading practical climate-smart knowledge to school students

In July 2023, a group of CAMFED supported secondary school students were accompanied by their Teacher Mentor and CAMFED Association members to visit a climate-smart demonstration farm and forestry hub in Isoka District, Zambia.

The students learned about the importance of tree planting, conservation and biodiversity, as well as a range of practical climate-smart farming techniques. The students later returned to their secondary school and planted trees with support from CAMFED.

Learn more about the link between girls' education and climate action

Tree planting in Tanzania and Malawi

Across our partner communities, young women are taking action now to support nature conservation. In Iringa, Tanzania, students planted avocado trees with the support of their Teacher Mentor, Mrs Diana Pazah, CAMFED Learner Guides, and the school Head Teacher. Their aim was to create a greener environment near their school, prevent soil erosion, and help protect the area from flooding.

In Mangochi, Malawi, CAMFED Association members took part in a government scheme that supported tree-planting across several districts. CAMFED Association members sensitized community members about the benefits of planting trees, and raised awareness of environmental conservation with school students.

Find out how our communities took action for nature on EARTH Day 2023

Hear from our climate game changers

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I'm a youth advocate for education and environmental protection

I’ve had the desire to share my knowledge, gained from a degree in Environmental Management, ever since seeing the impact of the climate crisis on my home community. We are increasingly experiencing extreme drought and floods, stress on water resources and produce loss from the incidence of pests and diseases. I started going on a local language radio program broadcast by the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation to up to 20 million listeners—so I can talk to the whole nation!

Hear from Natasha

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My dream is that this low-cost innovation will bring sustainable food systems to communities in Zambia

I’ve experienced first-hand the impact of climate change causing unpredictable weather, not having enough food to sustain us when droughts or flooding destroyed our crops. At that moment I realized I could actually contribute more through agriculture than any other sector, and I was determined to reduce hunger in my community.

Hear from Dorcas

I am supporting climate resilience and expertise in my community

I received training as a climate-smart Agriculture Guide through CAMFED, focusing on sustainable agriculture practices. I was motivated to become a climate activist after witnessing how droughts and floods affect not just my own community, but the communities and businesses of CAMFED Association members across Zambia. Now I’m equipped with knowledge to educate others on the causes of climate change and help them to build resilience to changing weather patterns.

Hear from Chise

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We are reaching thousands more young women with the tools and skills to tackle climate change related problems

My work involves training and mentoring Agriculture Guides and agripreneurs with climate-smart techniques like water and soil conservation. This way we are reaching thousands more young women with the tools and skills to tackle climate change related problems, poverty, and malnutrition. This will also allow communities to get more involved in philanthropy, and support more girls through school.

Hear from Tawonga

I want to make healthy, sustainable food accessible to my community

I am the CEO for Fresh Veg Agri-Business. I’m proud to be solving a problem for my community, by helping to ensure fresh, local produce is available year-round. The business is also linked to my interest in promoting good health and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Zero Hunger. Through my business I am making vegetables more accessible and affordable to the people of my community.

Hear from Cindy

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I am supporting school students to take action on climate change

The challenges women and girls in Malawi are facing makes me feel so sad, but also galvanizes me into action. I am supporting school students to take action on climate change too. We talk to the students about how best they can conserve the environment and share climate-smart farming knowledge so that their families can implement it at home. As a community we are becoming more resilient each and every day.

Hear from Malumbo