Kick-Off Youth workshop in Burundi

A total of 24 participants represented 4 cooperatives. The participants included 8 members of the bodies, 15 youth members and 1 manager.

The participating cooperatives acted in different fields:

- KANOVERA and UMUCO W’IKAWA cooperative working in the coffee value chain

- AMAHORO cooperative in the potato value chain

- GIRUMWETE DUKORE in the rice value chain.

The workshop was facilitated by Dieudonné Kwizera (Agriterra), Jean Marie Ntakirutimana (Agriterra) and an Agripool expert who joined online. Through this workshop, the importance of youth participation in the agricultural cooperative became clear to the participants.

Sharing the Agripool expert’s experience online was essential to inspire the participants and they expressed willingness for involving youth in the cooperative which was established in the cooperative’s action plans.

After the workshop all the participating cooperatives developed action plans that could be carried out in 6 months. The cooperatives have planned the following main activities:

- Mobilize young people to join the cooperative and create youth groups for all 4 participating cooperatives;

- Cultivate other crops (tomatoes, corn) beside the primary activity;

- Set up a 1/2ha field of potatoes for youth

- Give coffee plants to the young members

- Involve young people in cooperative activities