Youth Test Farm project Malawi

We are developing a demonstration farm for the youth in Lilongwe to engage rural youth, women and people with disabilities in agribusinesses. On the farm we are facilitating several trainings for the youth. The trainings focus on climate smart farming practices and farming technologies/tools that are SMART: Simple, Market based, Affordable and Repairable Technologies. Besides this, trainings on how to start a farming business will be given to the youth.

Goal

On the test farm we are facilitating several trainings for the youth. The trainings focus on climate smart farming practices and farming technologies/tools that are SMART: Simple, Market based, Affordable and Repairable Technologies. Besides this, trainings on how to start a farming business will be given to the youth.

Partner

Foundation Youthure

Local partner

Conserve with Benefits

Location

Lilongwe Malawi

Updates

November 2024: Update Youthure Malawi

Completion of previous round, start of new round of farmers in training

The second group of 30 young farmers in training started the training in Oct 2022. After a joint visit to the project in March 2023, an article was written by Joost van Kasteren (see previous update 'Becoming a farmer against the trend').

The group completed the training in Oct 2023. A comprehensive report (30 pages) with many photos and descriptions was published in December. S4F contributed to investments e.g. a storage shed. The young farmers have grown 14 different crops; mainly vegetables, but also corn, soy, cassava and (sweet) potatoes. They learned about the importance of irrigation, permaculture and keeping goats, chickens, bees and fish. This happened on the experimental farm, as well as during visits to three progressive farmers and to the Bunda college agricultural school.

Eva van Dijk is Youthure's contact person in Malawi. She visited the project of the foundation The Good Goal last year. She also exchanges information with the project leaders of our project with Jacana in Zambia.

Due to misunderstandings about funding with other partners of Youthure, a new group of farmers could not start training in the fall of 2023. We did succeed in the fall of 2024. In addition to S4F, Wilde Ganzen is again contributing. Part of the budget also includes investments e.g. in heavier water pumps and solar panels.

September 2022: S4F starts financial support Youth Test Farm Malawi

Seeds4Farmers starts financing the second year of the Youth Test Farm in Lilongwe Malawi in close cooperation with Youthure. The local partner Conserve with Benefits is active in setting up the activities.

In 2022 they builded a store for the harvested products. This makes it possible to bring the product on the market when prices are good. Last year tomatoes, soybeans, maize and peanuts were grown and sold on the market. New trainingsprogram is started and a further development of the Demonstration Farm is going on (equipment, motorbike for transport of the coordinator). Of the profit 80% is divided amongst the youth and 20% is kept for buying the seeds for the next sowing season. The aim is that the test farm can support itself finally without financial help from outside.

For 2022/2023 new training program will continue and evaluation will take place in the Youth group, the farmers that are involved in the training, partners and local team.