About
The Elevating the Voices of Women in Agriculture (EVWA) Campaign aims to raise awareness of the lived realities of women farmers in Africa. With the EVWA Changemakers Campaign and the EVWA Council, the BKMC is on a mission to highlight and galvanize action for the empowerment of women farmers in Africa. Women account for nearly half of the world’s smallholder farmers. In Africa, they produce 70% of the continent’s food. Yet, they are the most vulnerable members of the farming community, facing obstacles in accessing land, finances, education, and more, because of gender inequalities and our changing climate.
Discover our 2024 EVWA Champion, Zuhura Ahmad Shaweji! Selected from the 2024 EVWA Changemakers cohort, Zuhura was nominated as Champion for her innovative and low impact initiative that empowers women farmers in Tanzania through seaweed farming.
Framework
EVWA Changemakers Campaign
EVWA Changemakers is an annual campaign, which recognizes and gives a platform to exceptional Africans below the age of 30, who lead projects that contribute to the empowerment of women farmers.
Through a call for nomination, inspiring young leaders in the field of women farmers’ empowerment will be selected as EVWA Changemakers and spotlighted on the EVWA webpage.
Meet our EVWA Changemakers 2024
The EVWA Changemakers Campaign highlights exceptional projects led by young African leaders under the age of 30 years, who are creating an impact to empower women farmers in Africa. Join our efforts to advocate for the achievement of SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 5 Gender Equality, and SDG 13 Climate Action. Meet our EVWA Changemakers 2024!
Achileus Tardzenyuy Dzevernyuy
Empowering Widow Farmers through Regenerative Agriculture Training and Support, Cameroon
Achileus Tardzenyuy Dzevernyuy
Achileus is a women’s rights advocate and the first Human Rights Fellow at the African Court on Human and People’s Rights. He leads regenerative agriculture initiatives for vulnerable groups in Cameroon. He is a project lead at the Berine and Bokwe Foundation.
About “Empowering Widow Farmers Through Regenerative Agriculture Training and Support”
The project empowers widow farmers by providing financial support and resources, enabling them to access climate-smart agriculture and regenerative practices. With loans, seeds, and training, they help women diversify their crops and improve yields. This boosts their income and food security and enhances community resilience against climate change.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Ladze Carine, a 52-year-old widow from Cameroon, embodies resilience. After losing her husband during civil unrest in the Southwest Region, she struggled through subsistence farming. The pandemic worsened her plight, but with the project’s financial support and climate-smart agriculture training, Carine diversified her crops, increased yields, and secured a stable income.
Adenike Titilope
Oladosu
Promoting Ecofeminism
in Agriculture,
Nigeria
Adenike Titilope Oladosu
Adenike Titilope is a leading climate justice advocate and eco-feminist. She participated at the UN Youth Summit in 2019, received Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award, and was a Nigerian youth delegate at multiple COP conferences. She holds an Agriculture Economics degree and mobilizes others for climate action through Fridays For Future. She is Executive Director of the “I Lead Climate Action Initiative“.
About “Promoting Ecofeminism in Agriculture in Nigeria”
The Kwail area council, home to over 200 communities, has the highest number of indigenous, displaced, and marginalized women. The “I Lead Climate Action Initiative” empowers women farmers in the conflict-affected Lake Chad region by providing resources like organic fertilizer, farm equipment, and climate-resistant (indigenous) seedlings. Over 100,000 Indigenous women in 50 rural Lake Chad areas have benefited from their empowerment schemes, including capacity building, workshops, and town hall meetings. These programs have boosted agricultural production from 10% to 80%, utilizing Indigenous knowledge and technologies. They also offer agricultural services like early warning systems and meteorological data to help women farmers manage climatic conditions and enhance yields.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Priscilla Mark, 28, belongs to the Indigenous people of the community in Checheyi, Nigeria. She married at a very early age and has five children. For Priscilla, farming is her main source of livelihood. She combines her indigenous knowledge with the resources of the project to increase productivity and effectively deal with the climate crisis. Now, her returns from the farm have increased by 80%. She heads one of the indigenous associations they have in the community.
Christian Adoh
Quality granulated organic fertilizer &
rural women empowerment
in Pobè, Benin
Christian Adoh
Christian has a Tropical Agricultural Studies Diploma, co-founded BIO PLANET TMC Ltd, and promotes education for young girls and rural women’s empowerment in Pobè, Benin.
About “BIO PLANET TMC Ltd”
BIO PLANET TMC Ltd produces high-quality granulated organic fertilizer from biodegradable waste, empowering women farmers and addressing climate change. By 2030, the company aims to equip over 45,000 women with sustainable agricultural practices through extensive training programs, enhancing their skills and economic independence. These programs foster a collaborative agricultural community by creating a network of informed female farmers who support and mentor each other. The project mitigates environmental impact by recycling over 100 tonnes of biodegradable waste annually, reducing landfill use and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, data-driven soil testing optimizes fertilizer application, improves soil health and fertility, and minimizes the environmental footprint.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Abéni, a 35-year-old widow from Pobè, Benin, supports her five children through small-scale farming. After a dramatic 51% drop in yields due to land degradation, she benefited from the project’s training in organic farming, soil biodiversity, and sustainability. Mastering these techniques, she improved soil fertility and increased her income by 25%.
Elizabeth
Ekyasimiire
Value Her Sweat,
Uganda
Elizabeth Ekyasimiire
Elizabeth is the Founder of the Inspired to Inspire Foundation and holds a business degree. She manages Kangungu Coffee Farmers Cooperative where she advocates for vulnerable women and youth through facilitating better access to education.
About “Inspired to Inspire Foundation”
The Inspired to Inspire Foundation has been the immediate savior of most women in Kihihi, who survive on subsistence farming since it is the only regional CBO. Due to poverty, malnutrition, gender-based violence, and poverty-related diseases, including HIV/AIDS, women stay in communities taking care of their households. The project has helped women access quality seeds, agricultural inputs, and credit to help them produce enough food to sustain their families and to sell the surplus to increase income to cater to other basic needs like medical care, school fees, and proper housing.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Alice, a small-scale farmer growing rice, maize, beans, and groundnuts near Queen Elizabeth National Park, supports her family of eight. Through a village savings and loan association, she borrows money to buy seeds, cover family needs, and pay laborers. She stores her harvest to sell at higher prices later.
Frank Kisamo
Sustainable Organic Farming in Arusha, Tanzania
Frank Kisamo
Frank is an author, activist, and inventor of the Kilimo Sustainable Movement (KSM), through which he promotes social and technological advancements. His innovations in organic fertilizers benefit farmers and sustainable agriculture. He advocates for social justice, equality, and sustainable development through committed activism.
About “Sustainable Organic Farming in Arusha”
Sustainable Organic Farming in Aruhsa addresses climate change, women farmers’ empowerment, and agricultural challenges by emphasizing the critical role of women in agriculture. It provides targeted training in sustainable organic farming and ensures that women have equal access to resources, decision-making, and leadership roles. Through workshops, practical sessions, and cooperative formation, the program focuses on gender equality and collective bargaining. Successful women farmers are showcased through narratives and documentaries. Additionally, the research aims to mitigate climate change effects by offering sustainable farming methods that improve soil health, conserve water, and reduce chemical use, enhancing agricultural yields and resilience to climate fluctuations.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Hellen Gabriel, a 31-year-old farmer from Arusha, has greatly benefited from the Sustainable Organic Farming project. With her dairy farming background, she now uses organic fertilizers for chemical-free fodder, improving silage quality. Her commitment to organic methods enhances animal health, making her a key change agent in her community.
Grace Nshobole Maroy
Shamba Letu, The Democratic Republic of Congo
Grace Nshobole Maroy
Grace is a trailblazing women’s rights activist and social entrepreneur. She founded Mwanamke Kesho in 2019 to address gender-based violence and empower women. With over eight years of advocacy experience, she co-founded Friends of DRC INC and Matumamaini Sarl, supporting women farmers.
About “ShambaLetu”
ShambaLetu is an innovative project empowering women farmers in rural communities and addressing climate change challenges. This collaboration between Mwanamke Kesho, a women’s rights organization, and Matumaini, a social enterprise, aims to support women farmers and strengthen their economic resilience. Women are trained and provided resources to transform agricultural waste into YASA ecological briquettes, made from crop residues and recycled paper, offering an alternative to traditional wood-based fuel. ShambaLetu reduces pressure on forests and promotes a circular economy by converting waste into clean-burning briquettes. The project also emphasizes solar energy for drying agricultural products, enhancing sustainability and mitigating climate change impacts.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Leonie Kabalama, a 56-year-old Congolese woman, drives ShambaLetu project’s efforts to empower rural women farmers. Through training, she transforms agricultural waste into eco-friendly briquettes, providing alternative cooking fuel and generating income. Leonie has become a vocal leader, advocating for rural women’s rights and needs, exemplifying ShambaLetu’s transformative power.
Ibrahim Islam
HERVeg.05,
Tanzania
Ibrahim Islam
Ibrahim’s mission is to empower African women farmers by promoting sustainable vegetable planting and poultry raising, enhancing nutrition, food security, and advocating for women’s rights and resilience.
About “HERVeg.05”
HERVeg.05, with “HER” standing for “Her Vegetable,” supports women farmers crucial to household food security. The program helps small-scale farmers with 0.05-acre plots, providing nutrient-rich seeds and fertilizers like okra, spinach, and kale to combat malnutrition. It targets vulnerable women facing multiple nutritional challenges and offers flexible payment through a mobile layaway system. Training ensures farmers gain skills for long-term success. HERVeg.05 promotes sustainable practices and crop diversity to enhance climate resilience. The initiative focuses on high-malnutrition areas in Tanzania, such as Njombe, and uses VSLA groups to efficiently support and build community among farmers.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Jennifer, a 35-year-old Tanzanian farmer from Njombe, faced challenges with food and economic instability. Through HERVeg.05, she received nutrient-dense seeds and training on sustainable farming with flexible payment options. Now, Jennifer provides nutritious vegetables for her community and inspires other women with her sustainable agricultural practices.
Joseph Tsongo
Jambo-Lab, The Democratic Republic of Congo
Joseph Tsongo
Joseph is founder and CEO of Jambo-Lab, uses technology to support communities impacted by climate change, focusing on empowering women farmers. He advocates for local rights and campaigns against fossil fuels with FossilFreeVirunga and StopEACOP.
About “Jambo-Lab”
The Democratic Republic of Congo faces extreme climatic events, such as droughts and floods, severely impacting rural communities. To reduce their vulnerability, Jambo-Lab was initiated to strengthen their knowledge, adaptation capacities, and sustainable environmental practices, particularly in the eastern part of the country. Farmers, indigenous peoples, and displaced populations use mobile phones to interact with the “Jambo-Lab” platform (short code 440440) free of charge, receiving environmental awareness and training on sustainable agricultural practices. Over 3,000 people actively use the solution, which also includes Virtual Reality headsets, allowing farmers to explore model farms and learn advanced techniques in 3D.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Monique Muhaza is a women farmer, located in Nyiragongo, DRC. She cannot afford an expert agronomist to give technical assistance in her field, but she receives free agricultural advice via the Jambo-Lab project, which has seen improvement in yields from 123 to 270 kilos by sowing corn first and then beans.
Joy Hayley Munthali
Creating Sustainable agricultural markets for small scale women and youth farmers, Malawi
Joy Hayley Munthali
Joy Hayley is founder of Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing Enterprise, created the Green Girls Platform to discuss climate change and solutions. As project coordinator at the National Youth Network on Climate Change, she empowers youth in climate initiatives.
About “Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing”
Joy Munthali founded Tawonga Cooking Oil Processing in 2018 after discovering a lack of markets and training for small-scale women and youth farmers in Embangweni, Malawi. The company produces cooking oil, animal feed, and laundry soap while offering affordable agricultural markets, free entrepreneurship training, and climate change information. Tawonga made a quota agreement with 3,600 farmers for sunflower, soybean, and groundnut seeds and employed 22 local experts. So far, the company has trained 33,450 women and linked 1,460 small-scale women and youth farmers, addressing gaps in sustainable 
agriculture and business skills.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Banda Horticultural Cooperative, a women-led group, focuses on helping individuals like Charity Nguluwe, a 24-year-old divorced mother of three. Joy’s assistance, including training and certified seeds, has enabled Charity to own three houses, eight cows, 240 chickens, 18 hectares of land, and a successful horticultural farm.
Joy Unedeagbo Oluwafemi
Empowering Women in the Nigeria Aquaculture Value-chain, Nigeria
Joy Unedeagbo Oluwafemi
Joy is a Senior Farmer at Orisha Farms Nigeria, transforming aquaculture with innovative, climate-smart cage-culture systems. She empowers women by reducing barriers, promoting gender inclusivity, and fostering opportunities in Nigeria’s aquaculture sector.
About “EWNAV”
The Empowering Women in the Nigeria Aquaculture Value-chain (EWNAV) project by Orisha Farms Nigeria aims to increase women’s participation in the aquaculture sector. Traditionally, women are limited to post-harvest activities due to barriers in acquiring land and resources. EWNAV introduces the cage culture system, allowing fish farming in local waterbodies without land ownership, enabling women to engage in fish production. The project also trains women in post-harvest activities like fish drying, filleting, and blast freezing, reducing losses and adding value to fish products. EWNAV promotes sustainable fish farming practices, maintaining water quality and reducing environmental impact, thus contributing to gender equality and environmental sustainability.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Opemipo Oyebadejo is a 26-year-old woman from Nigeria with a deep passion for agriculture, particularly fisheries. After studying fisheries at the University of Akure, she faced significant barriers as a woman trying to enter the Nigerian aquaculture sector. Today, Opemipo owns her own fish farm, with guidance of Orisha Farms’ women business development expert, her business is thriving. She is utilizing the knowledge gained from EWNAV project to improve her livelihood and empower herself.
Kouétcha Barthélémy N’serma
AgroDream Solution TCM,
Benin
Kouétcha Barthélémy N'serma
Kouétcha Barthélémy is passionate about livestock breeding and has led an entrepreneurship club, helping young people’s business plans. He educates farmers in Natitingou, driven by his commitment to agricultural innovation and community impact.
About “AgroDream Solution TCM”
AgroDream Solution TCM supports women farmers by enhancing their skills in livestock breeding and market gardening through one to two month long training courses and six-month follow-ups. Training covers breeding techniques, nutrition, and site planning. 50 farmers have already applied their knowledge. It also offers two-week training in market gardening, followed by one month of practice. 45 agroecology ambassadors learned sustainable practices in Natitingou, Tanguiéta, and Matéri. The training includes climate change mitigation through agroecology, using organic inputs and transforming animal waste into compost to reduce the carbon footprint and minimize chemical use.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Sambiéni Nahonga, a 50-year-old farmer from Matéri, has received technical support from AgroDream Solution TCM to improve her pig farm. Since her husband’s death in 2003, farming has been her main income source. Despite challenges, she strengthened her pig breeding skills and now manages her farm successfully.
Lavender Odeny
Empowered Women in Mushroom Farming and Entrepreneurship,
Kenya
Lavender Odeny
An agri-preneur enthusiast, Lavender founded and directs MashLav Foods in Kilifi, Kenya. Her company produces and sells mushrooms, economically empowering 140 farmers, including 129 marginalized women, by providing skills and startup packages. She is passionate about agricultural innovations and believes in a food-secure world.
About “Empowered Women in Mushroom Farming and Entrepreneurship”
MashLav Foods, an agricultural company in Kilifi, Kenya, produces fresh oyster mushrooms and trains mostly women farmers in mushroom farming. The Empowered Women Project on Mushroom and Entrepreneurship aims to economically empower 120 women and girls, including victims of gender-based violence, through mushroom farming and business management skills. The project provides entrepreneurship training, sustainable farming models, garden farms, seeds, substrates, and mentorship. It also links farmers with markets and value-addition services for products like dried and powdered mushrooms. This initiative offers sustainable income, reduces climate change effects by using local agricultural waste, and promotes regenerative agriculture with organic compost manure.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Ngumbao Beatrice is a widowed woman based in Kilifi Kenya aged 63. She is a small-scale farmer who is cultivating vegetables and fruits mostly for subsistence and partly for commercial purposes. She’s a proud beneficiary of the Empowered Women project on Mushroom farming and Entrepreneurship project, where she has benefitted from training skills, mentorship, and access to market for her mushroom produce enabling her and her family to earn income for sustenance.
Mariama Gendemeh
Ho-Pada Farmer’s Association,
Sierra Leone
Mariama Gendemeh
Mariama is a philanthropist and Executive Director of Fresh Veggies Agro Company, which she founded at 19. She supports women and children, championing community development projects.
About “Ho-Pada Farmer’s Association”
The project is empowering youth and women by establishing a training center and demonstration farm. This hub offers workshops on modern agricultural techniques, sustainable practices, and agribusiness management. By providing practical training, microcredit, and mentoring, the project is boosting productivity, fostering entrepreneurship, and improving living standards. This initiative reduces poverty, promotes socio-economic growth, and enhances community resilience by encouraging broader participation in agriculture, ultimately leading to food security and sustainable development in Sierra Leone.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Fanta Koroma, a 20-year-old farmer, dropped out of school after her mother’s death left her without support. Through the project, she expanded her farming activities and earned enough to return to school. Fanta now inspires other young women in her community to pursue agriculture.
Matiedje Nkenmayi Gislaine
Mumita Holdings,
Cameroon
Matiedje Nkenmayi Gislaine
Matiedje is an innovative entrepreneur and environmental advocate, and founder of Mumita Holdings. She champions agricultural innovation with low-cost greenhouses and solar irrigation, winning awards for leadership in entrepreneurship and climate-smart agriculture.
About “Mumita Holdings”
Women comprise 71.6% of agricultural informal sector workers in Cameroon but face food insecurity. Mumita Holdings pioneers a green initiative addressing the food-agriculture-nature-climate nexus. Their holistic, sustainable project focuses on African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) due to their cultural significance, nutrition, and climate adaptability, grown by women. Challenges include extreme climate variance, 45% postharvest losses, and inefficiencies in the supply chain, causing waste and emissions. Their approach involves capacity building, low-cost greenhouses, solar-powered irrigation, and post-harvest processing. This reduces carbon footprints, supports steady revenue for farmers, boosts local food security, strengthens the economy, and encourages local produce consumption.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Rose Tandjong, a young mother of two from Buea, struggled to find a well-paid job despite some university studies. After training in vegetable and mushroom production, she now successfully supplies mushrooms, balancing home responsibilities and increasing her income streams. Today, Rose is one of the project’s main suppliers of mushrooms.
Merveille Shungu
Empowering Women Farmers for Sustainable Agriculture, The Democratic Republic of Congo
Merveille Shungu
Merveille is an agripreneur and founder of Agro Congo Business (ACB). With a Bachelor’s in Environmental Health, she empowers rural women through sustainable agriculture. Her background includes working with local NGOs and managing agricultural projects.
About “Empowerment of Women Farmers for Sustainable Agriculture”
Empowerment of Women Farmers for Sustainable Agriculture aims to promote economic autonomy for women farmers while adopting sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate climate change impacts. It offers regular training sessions on modern farming techniques, crop management, and agricultural entrepreneurship, including workshops on financial management, marketing, and market access. The project provides improved seeds, organic fertilizers, modern farming tools, and microcredit systems for financing. Forming women-led agricultural cooperatives enhances collaboration, market access, and bargaining power. Mentoring programs pair experienced women farmers with newcomers to develop skills and confidence. Environmentally friendly practices, such as agroforestry and crop rotation, increase agricultural resilience.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Rebecca Kombe, a 22-year-old from Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of Congo, began working in agriculture four years ago after high school. Coming from a modest family, she saw agriculture’s potential to improve her community’s living conditions. Three years ago, Rebecca joined Agro Congo Business, accessing training, quality seeds, tools, and management advice.
Natasha Mulenga
Umusalu Gardening Bag project,
Zambia
Natasha Mulenga
Natasha is founder and director of Hope Network Organization. She empowers women and youth through sustainable agriculture in Zambia with her Umusalu Gardening Bags innovation. An SDGs ambassador, she is also alumna of the Advancing Young Women Entrepreneurs and Innovators Program held in the US in May 2024.
About “Umusalu Gardening Bag”
The project provides solutions for vulnerable groups, including women and youth, who face challenges accessing land or resources to start an agriculture business. The bags serve as alternative gardens with unique features that enable these groups to engage in sustainable agriculture despite their limitations.
Screenshot
Voice of Woman in Agriculture
Fridah Natala, 42, lives in Lusaka Zambia, she worked in organic farming, uses the innovation in her backyard to grow vegetables both for consumption and selling. She has been successful in making it a sustainable business and would like to expand it.
Ndey Amie
Jobe
EmpowerHer,
The Gambia
Ndey Amie Jobe
Ndey Amie is a registered nurse, holds a BA in Global Challenges, and is Nutrition and Dietary Diversity Officer at Shelter for Life International, driving sustainable agriculture. She founded EmpowerHer, supporting rural women farmers.
About “EmpowerHer”
EmpowerHer, born from research in Kuntaur, The Gambia, focuses on women, water, and agriculture. The organization empowers smallholder women farmers through training, resources, and support for sustainable practices, including biofortified crops and agroecology. Since inception, it has trained 1,000 women in organic composting, value addition, and financial literacy. As a youth-led NGO, Empowerher promotes youth leadership and addresses climate action, clean water, gender equality, and zero hunger. The organization aims to foster sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship, envisioning a future where Gambian rural communities thrive through empowered women and effective climate and food security initiatives.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Mariama Jallow is a smallholder farmer who is working at the nyanga bantang womens garden provided by UNCD in the Gambia, she produces vegetables which she later sells in the market and lumos. She is 28 years old and Gambian, she is also a second wife and a mother of three children. She has been working at the garden for the last two years which has always helped make ends meet.
Ndumbe Knollis Mokake
Food Processing and Transformative Training For Internally Displaced Women Farmers, Cameroon
Ndumbe Knollis Mokake
Ndumbe Knollis, a climate and food insecurity activist from Cameroon, leads the Center for Agricultural Stewardship and Development. Growing up on a farm, he experienced hunger due to climate change and civil unrest, fueling his mission to combat these issues globally. He holds a BSc in Geography.
About “Food Processing and Transformative Training For Internally Displaced Women Farmers”
The civil unrest in South West Cameroon has revealed a lack of social protection for vulnerable rural communities facing economic challenges. This project empowers 150 internally displaced women farmers and widows affected by the conflict. Through a 4-week training program, participants engage in activities to acquire skills in organic gardening, local food processing, preservation, and bookkeeping. The program builds leadership, confidence, and self-esteem, helping women overcome marginalization. Workshops emphasize energy-conserving, nutrient-retaining food transformation techniques, covering products like pasta and bread from locally grown vegetables. Promoting environmental conservation and sustainable farming, the project strengthens community resilience, reduces donation reliance, and improves food security.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Nfor Gillian, 39, a displaced mother of four from Cameroon’s war-torn Northwest, now farms in Bonavada. Her family’s survival relies on her harvest and donations. Each seed sown symbolizes hope, each harvest a victory against hardship. Her story reflects daily struggle and silent resilience.
Oluwadamilola Akintewe
Project Rebirth,
Nigeria
Oluwadamilola Akintewe
Oluwadamilola founded Project Rebirth to empower women and youths in Nigeria with economic skills and support, earning her the Late Princess Diana Legacy Award for humanitarian efforts. She is also a finalist in the 2021 Global Student Prize.
About “Project Rebirth”
Project Rebirth is a female and youth-led organization dedicated to no female poverty in Nigeria. Since 2004, over 8 million women and girls have been displaced by Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria, facing gendered violence and social vices. Project Rebirth empowers women and youths with economic skills and supports women farmers in rural communities and Internally Displaced Persons camps. The project offers free sewing and sustainable fashion skills training, micro funding, and loans to help women farmers cope with climate change costs. Additionally, it trains women to reduce, reuse, and recycle clothing waste and engage in sustainable farming, promoting gender equality, poverty reduction, and environmental protection.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Priscilla Luka, a 25-year-old Nigerian, has lived in the Kuchingoro IDP camp in Abuja since Boko Haram attacked her community in Adamawa State in 2014. With support from Project Rebirth, she now farms maize and groundnuts in Nasarawa State, using the revenue to fund her undergraduate studies. As a fluent English speaker, Priscilla volunteers as an interpreter between Project Rebirth and Hausa-speaking beneficiaries, bridging communication and progress.
Peruth Mutesi
Rwamwanja Rural
Foundation, Uganda
Peruth Mutesi
Peruth is the Founder and Director of Women’s Regenerative Initiative and M&E at Rwamwanja Rural Foundation. She aims to transform women’s roles through smart climate agriculture and agribusiness.
About “Rwamwanja Rural Foundation”
Rwamwanja Rural Foundation, a youth refugee-led non-profit founded in 2015 and registered in 2020, addresses hunger and malnutrition exacerbated by high prices, conflicts, and overexploited ecosystems. These ecosystems, degraded by intensive agriculture, overfishing, and deforestation, are less resilient to climate change, worsening the vulnerabilities of refugees. The Foundation focuses on restoring ecosystems, increasing climate resilience, and promoting biodiversity through regenerative agriculture. It combines permaculture, Indigenous farming, and modern digital technologies. The Foundation provides training in regenerative agriculture and reforestation, develops training hubs, and supports entrepreneurship, particularly among women, to improve livelihoods and access to nutritious food.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Nantongo Madina, a proud Ugandan woman, is a mushroom farmer, trained by and is a benerficiary of Rwamwanja Rural Foundation. She attended a Rwamwanja training with other women in the urban areas of Kampala, Wakiso Distict, and Kira municipality. She now trains other women on permaculture and mushroom production, promoting self-reliance.
Ponda Saah Langji
Supporting The Food Sovereignty and Economic Vitality of Rural Women through Agricultural Diversification, Cameroon
Ponda Saah Langji
Ponda Saah is a youth leader focused on sustainable natural resource management and improving rural livelihoods. With 10 years in landscape conservation, he holds leadership roles in RUDERG, OYON, OCDA, and Nchiiy Community Forest.
About “Supporting The Food Sovereignty and Economic Vitality of Rural Women through Agricultural Diversification in North West-Cameroon”
This livelihood improvement project of RUDERG aims to support peasant women in North West Cameroon through various agricultural interventions. Its main goals are to enhance agricultural productivity, provide access to modern farming techniques, improve soil fertility, and increase market access for women farmers. By focusing on these areas, the project seeks to boost economic stability, promote sustainable farming practices, and improve the overall quality of life for women in the region.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Joy Ghawi is a 47-year-old rural farmer living in Oku-Cameroon. Joy makes her living through farming, growing crops like potatoes, cabbages, beans, tomatoes and corn. Prior to support from Ponda Saah, Joy struggled to earn a living and could not acquire her family’s basic needs. However, through their programs, Joy has developed new skills for more productive and efficient farming. This has led to improved crop yields, income and access to essentials like food, healthcare, and children’s school fees. Joy’s story exemplifies positive impact on marginalized women farmers.
Royford Mutegi Mwenda
Changing Lives,
One Farm at a Time,
Kenya
Royford Mutegi Mwenda
Royford Mutegi is Co-Founder and Managing Director at Vermi-Farm Initiative, advances sustainable agriculture with DigiShamba and vermicomposting. His Vermi-Farm Adapt Finance Program supports over 4,876 farmers and promotes financial inclusion.
About “Changing Lives, One Farm at a Time”
Growing up in Igoji, where 99% of the population relies on smallholder farming, and 75% lack banking services, the impact of poverty on local farmers is evident. Despite their hard work, farmers like Annita, who use traditional methods vulnerable to unpredictable weather, face extreme poverty. To address this, the Vermi-Farm DigiShamba, a low-cost smart greenho
use, was introduced. It empowers women farmers by protecting crops from adverse weather and pests, stabilizing income, and reducing financial volatility from climate change. The project aims to enhance farmers’ resilience and adaptability, using modern agri-tech to improve their socio-economic status amidst climate uncertainty.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Annita Naitore, a 36-year-old Kenyan farmer from Igoji, Meru County, struggled with fluctuating income due to failed rainfall seasons. Through the Vermi-Farm Adapt Finance Program and the Lamwe Self Help Group, Annita accessed a Vermi-Farm DigiShamba, which provides affordable, timely financing, improving her farming sustainability and livelihood.
Samuel
Nduwayezu
Unite with them, Rwanda
Samuel Nduwayezu
Samuel is a nurse and founder of HEZA Initiative, promotes maternal and child health in Rwanda through nutrition and education. He co-founded HEZA EGG HUB, empowering young women and enhancing community nutrition.
About “Unite with them”
“Unite with them” empowers women farmers, especially teenage mothers, by providing specialized poultry farming training, practical skills in disease management, vaccination, and animal husbandry, and business skills for market access and income generation. They supply chickens as seed capital to start farms, fostering sustainable income, food security, and financial independence. The project also addresses climate change by emphasizing small-scale poultry farming, which has a lower carbon footprint than industrial operations, promoting sustainable practices, and supporting local food production to reduce transportation emissions.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
At 21 years old, she became pregnant as a teenager and lives in a rural area of Rulindo district, Rwanda. After receiving intensive training on poultry farming and its climate benefits, she was donated hens to support her economic growth and her child’s nutrition. She is now an empowered woman farmer.
Stacy
Uwase
JURU, Rwanda
Stacy K Uwase
Stacy has expertise in business and digital marketing, creating economic opportunities and empowering young single mothers in agriculture. Her mission is to uplift communities in Africa through sustainable development.
About “JURU”
JURU is a multifaceted initiative aimed at empowering women farmers while addressing climate change. By rehabilitating a 24-hectare quarry into a vibrant green space, it restores the environment and creates sustainable livelihoods for local women. Planting over 6,000 trees combats deforestation and promotes biodiversity. Prioritizing gender equality, the project employs 15 young single mothers, providing valuable skills training and economic opportunities in agriculture. Engaging both young women and men fosters inclusivity and empowerment. Additionally, the green space will serve as a tourism destination, demonstrating how environmental conservation and women’s empowerment can create a brighter future for all.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
The Women Farmers from Bugesera: Resilient single mothers, aged 18 to 30, near Bugesera, Rwanda, balance nurturing families and advancing agriculture through the JURU project. Participants like Niyera Grace and Mukarurangwa Hylene secure sustainable livelihoods, empowered economically, and drive local community development, impacting their future together.
Tabitha
Kasongo
Trokass, Malawi
Tabitha Kasongo
Tabitha is an economist and women empowerment advocate who founded Trokass. With a degree from Lilongwe University, she invests in and empowers smallholder rural women farmers to increase produce, income, and sustain livelihoods.
About “Trokass”
Trokass targets micro-scale women farmers owning 0.1-1 acres in Malawi. This group is chosen due to shrinking land sizes from population growth and minimal support for women with less than 1 acre. The initiative aims to boost agricultural productivity, income, and livelihoods for these small-scale farmers. It empowers women to engage in high-value agriculture, such as horticulture and fisheries, which yield high economic returns on small plots. Women receive training in good agricultural practices and business management, startup inputs, and market access. Additionally, sustainable, organic farming practices are taught to address climate change and restore soil fertility.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Elube Kwachera, 45, is a smallholder fish farmer in Lilongwe rural, Malawi. She is a mother of 4.
Tadiwanashe Gasa Mukuta
SorghumGreen, Zimbabwe
Tadiwanashe Gasa Mukuta
Tadiwanashe is a passionate changemaker from Chivi, Zimbabwe, is dedicated to empowering women farmers. Witnessing the local challenges, she advocates for marginalized communities.
About “SorghumGreen”
SorghumGreen is a transformative project integrating women’s empowerment, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience. It empowers women farmers in Chivi by supplying high-quality sorghum and sugar bean seeds along with essential agricultural inputs, boosting yields and economic independence. The project provides knowledge and skills in sustainable farming practices, enhancing women’s expertise and confidence. Sorghum’s adaptability supports food security in changing weather conditions. Women also generate income by selling surplus crops and products. Additionally, the project teaches the creation of eco-friendly briquettes from crop residues and promotes carbon sequestration through sorghum and sugar bean cultivation, fostering a greener, more equitable future.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Maria Mago, born in 1978 in Zimbabwe, is a dedicated farmer in Masvingo and mother of two. Through the SorghumGreen initiative, she receives seeds and inputs to cultivate land sustainably and make eco-friendly briquettes from crop residues. Her resilience inspires her community and aids climate change mitigation.
Towera Ngwira
Empowering Women Beekeepers for Sustainable Livelihoods, Malawi
Towera Ngwira
Towera co-founded Extra Mile Development Foundation to empower marginalized children, adolescent girls, and women. She supports women farmers, like bee farmers in Nkhata Bay, to improve their livelihoods. Towera holds a BSc in Environmental Health, a Project Management in Global Health certificate, and won the 2022 Adolescent Activism Award from the Southern African Trust.
About “Empowering Women Beekeepers for Sustainable Livelihoods in Nkhata Bay”
The project with the Chisomo Beefarming Club in Nkhata Bay empowers female-headed households and impoverished families raising orphans and abandoned children. Since 2022, it has provided honey processing equipment, additional beehives, personal protective gear, and built a honey processing unit, creating a safe space for processing and meetings. Extensive training in beehive management, honey extraction, processing, packaging, branding, and marketing has improved honey quality and quantity by at least 50%. This boost in production strengthens household economies, reduces food insecurity, and mitigates domestic violence. The project also addresses climate change by annually planting trees, promoting reforestation and environmental sustainability.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Fydas Longwe, a 44-year-old widow from Nkondezi Community in Nkhata Bay, belongs to Chisomo beefarming club. Caring for five school-aged children, she lived on less than $1 daily before joining the beefarming initiative in 2019. With Extra Mile’s support since 2022, she now earns over $3 daily, sustaining her family.
Ache William Anubofeh
Self-Help Groups
Amplifying Her Voice, Cameroon
Ache William Anubofeh
Ache is the founder of the Sustainable Ecosystem Development Association (SEDA). He disseminates knowledge and skills on agroecology and organic farming to women and youths in underserved grassroots communities. He holds a Master’s in mining engineering.
About “Self-Help Groups Amplifying Her Voice”
The project empowers fifty young women in smallholder farming and trains them as local climate advocacy negotiators in Northwest Cameroon by 2025. In five women-led Self-Help Groups, ten young, internally displaced single mothers receive free training on building affordable greenhouse nurseries for multiplying healthy plantain and banana suckers to sell in local markets and using indigenous knowledge in climate advocacy. This initiative helps them overcome economic barriers and adapt to climate change. Participants receive certificates and commit to establishing their nurseries, engaging in sucker multiplication businesses, and participating in a climate advocacy campaign with community radio talks and capacity-building workshops.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Mokom Henrietta, a 22-year-old single mother from Santa Subdivision, Northwest Cameroon, was forced to move to Mankon Bamenda due to the 2016 socio-economic crisis. Dropping out of school, she joined SEDA’s Self-Help Group, receiving training in climate-smart agriculture. Henrietta s now able to make money and sponsor her child’s education and household.
Yvonne Amankwa
Securing Women’s Land Rights Project, Ghana
Yvonne Amankwa
Yvonne is a development practitioner in Ghana, and leads communications at COLANDEF, focusing on stakeholder relations and innovative strategies to help women farmers secure land rights.
About “COLANDEF”
There is limited capacity building of local-level actors to understand and implement Ghana’s new Land Act, “Act 1036”. To address gender inequalities, there is a need to educate women’s groups on this Act. COLANDEF Land and Property Rights, with support from the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, is implementing a project to sensitize women’s groups across Ghana’s 16 regions. The initiative aims to enhance land tenure security for women by improving their understanding of legal provisions and promoting climate-resilient farming practices. The project focuses on the Duayaw Nkwanta Women Cocoa Farmers group, which cultivates cocoa and cash crops, and seeks to boost regional leadership and advocacy.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Salomey Saah is a beneficiary of COLANDEF and a 47-year-old cocoa farmer with 20 years of experience. Apart from cocoa, she also cultivates annual crops like cassava, plantain, and maize. The cocoa farm covers approximately 41 acres of land.
Zuhura Ahmad Shaweji
She Shapes Nature, Tanzania
Zuhura Ahmad Shaweji
Zuhura Ahmad, a Tanzanian gender-climate advocate, empowers women in nature-based economies through “She Shapes Nature,” supporting seaweed farming and mangrove restoration. As Head of Programs at The Women in Recycling Foundation, she impacts over 500 women and drives sustainable change.
About “She Shapes Nature”
She Shapes Nature empowers 10 women farmers by providing training, resources, and support for sustainable seaweed farming. This initiative enhances women’s economic independence and leadership in the community. It addresses climate change by sequestering carbon through seaweed farming, promoting marine biodiversity with sustainable practices, and enhancing community resilience by offering sustainable livelihoods and reducing reliance on climate-vulnerable crops.
Voices of Women in Agriculture
Agnes Fransic Makolele, 36, used to sew and sell clothes in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, however the profit was not sufficient. In 2022, she learned about seaweed farming and its economic potential. After being empowered through training and resources, she can now farm seaweed in the ocean and sell seaweed products such as soap and oil to sustain herself and her family.
Timeline
EVWA Champion
The EVWA Changemaker, leading the most innovative and inspiring project is announced and recognized as the EVWA Champion. With the title of EVWA Champion comes a 5.000 USD seed-funding award to scale the impact of this project. The EVWA Champion will also receive the unique opportunity to be part of an exciting multimedia documentary production and social media campaign. We will publish this documentary through our channels as well as at key events such as COPs and more to spotlight the EVWA Champion as a best practice example.
EVWA Champion 2024 – Zuhura Ahmad Shaweji
The EVWA Champion of 2024 is Zuhura, Founder of She Shapes Nature. She empowers women in Bagamoyo, Tanzania through seaweed farming – a low barrier solution to advance gender equity and sustainable livelihoods, while benefitting the environment.
EVWA Champion 2023 – Njieforti Princewill Gana
The EVWA Champion of 2023 is Njieforti, Founder and CEO of SustainAfric. He empowers widowed women farmers in Tiko, Subdivision in Cameroon with training on climate-smart agricultural practices, specifically snail farming. We wish him the best of luck with the next steps of their initiative.
EVWA Champion 2022 – Lilian Nakigozi
The EVWA Champion of 2022 is Lilian Nakigozi, Founder and CEO of Women Smiles Uganda. She was chosen out of hundreds of nominations recognized for their inspiring initiative, empowering women farmers on the African continent. We wish her the best of luck with the next steps of her inititiave.
EVWA Council
The EVWA Council fosters dialogue between women farmers from Africa, young changemakers and institutional players in the fields of gender, agriculture and climate change.
Composed of 12 experts from academia, international organizations, NGOs, and governmental representatives, the EVWA Council will work with women smallholder farmers and young changemakers to include their perspectives in policy recommendations to tackle the main challenges women smallholder farmers face. Meet our EVWA Council Members below!
Meet our EVWA Council Members
Hilary Barry
Founder and CEO,
Lady-Agri Impact Investment Hub
Hilary Barry
Hilary Barry is the Founder and Secretary General of the LadyAgri Impact Investment Hub which has a unique 360° holistic approach to supporting women throughout agri-value chains from ‘Farm to Fork’. LadyAgri is committed to stimulating a thriving gender-smart agricultural sector capable of creating decent jobs for youth and upskilling of women farmers. Hilary believes women’s access to farm inputs, climate-smart equipment, technology, and appropriate finance will be a key performance indicator for sustainable food systems and a regenerative agricultural model.
Kezia Batisai
Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Johannesburg
Kezia Batisai
Kezia Batisai is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg who holds a PhD in Gender Studies from the University of Cape Town. Her published work questions notions of marginality and the meaning of being different in Africa. Through an interdisciplinary approach to gender, land, sexuality, health, and migration studies, Kezia’s work expands her theory of marginality by interrogating how people marked by society as ‘the minority’ – based on intersecting positionalities – negotiate being different within various hierarchized zones of the everyday.
Neil Fourie
First Secretary & Agriculture Attaché, FCDO
Neil Fourie
South African and British civil servant with more than 40 years of experience of policy development and delivery around sustainable development, agriculture and gender. Previously a diplomat, representing the UK during negotiations at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, where amongst other responsibilities, was First Vice Chair of the Committee on Commodity Problems and lead on work the Committee on World Food Security’s Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition, for the United Kingdom.
Valerie Guarnieri
Assistant Executive Director, Programme & Policy Development, WFP
Valerie Guarnieri
Valerie Guarnieri is Assistant Executive Director for Programme and Policy Development at the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP). In this role, she leads WFP’s work around the world to provide food, cash and technical assistance that helps people and nations to meet urgent needs, build resilience and improve food security. Global partnerships to empower women, support refugees and displaced populations, combat malnutrition and ensure that all hungry children benefit from nutritious school meals also fall under her leadership.
Petronella Halwiindi
Country Director, Uganda,
Farm Africa
Petronella Halwiindi
Petronella is a visionary agriculture, livelihoods and food systems practitioner with 18 years’ experience working with smallholder farming communities. Guided by the philosophy of helping people to help themselves, she has worked with communities and teams to design, resource for, implement and learn from agriculture development projects in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia. Her greatest satisfaction comes from contributing to economically empowering women and young people in agriculture. She holds a Masters in Poverty Reduction, Policy and Practice.
Fibian Lukalo
Vice-Chair and Board Member,
RECONCILE
Fibian Lukalo
Fibian Lukalo is a sociologist committed to social justice research in the fields of land governance, climate crisis, gender, and education. Fibian works as a land governance and gender consultant for women-led grassroots organizations in rural Kenya. Fibian holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK. Her doctoral thesis in the sociology of education, considered how mothers living in rural Kenya, considered and made decisions for their children’s schooling. Insecure land rights featured prominently in these decisions.
Dismas Mwaseba
Associate Professor,
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Dismas Mwaseba
Dismas L. Mwaseba is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Community Development formerly the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania. He has several years of leadership experience having served as Head of Department of Agricultural Education and Extension and as Director at SUA Centre for Sustainable Rural Development and at the Institute of Continuing Education at SuA. His research interests cover agroecology, food and nutrition, gender, food systems, climate change, and governance of natural resources.
Lilian Nakigozi
CEO and Founder,
Women Smiles Uganda
Lilian Nakigozi
Lilian Nakigozi is a social entrepreneur, founder & CEO Women Smiles Uganda who combines passion, innovation and entrepreneurship to support women towards increased food security. Having experienced hunger at 8 years and losing a baby sister to starvation, Lilian grew up knowing that she needed to do something to make sure no child has to sleep hungry and nobody else has to lose a sister. Through her organization, she provides training in sustainable vertical farming concepts to women and youth living in underserved communities of Uganda especially those in urban slums who struggle to access land for agriculture.
Eike Sindlinger
Global Leader Food & Agriculture Systems,
Arup
Eike Sindlinger
Eike is Arup’s global leader for Food and Agriculture Systems focused on accelerating the just transition to resilient and equitable food systems that provide healthy food for everyone and support the biosphere of a thriving planet. He is leading the development of new approaches to urban farming, decarbonising our food system, enhancing food resilience and making food the ultimate circular resource. He was an advisor to a national food security programme in the middle east and developed several food and agriculture strategies for masterplans.
Samuel Tumwesigye
Agriculture and Climate Change Adaptation Specialist,
UNDP
Samuel Tumwesigye
Dr. Samuel Tumwesigye is a rural development professional with fifteen years of experience: as a Technical Specialist at BATU, FAO, & UNDP, supporting Africa and Asia countries. Throughout his career, Samuel designed and implemented transformative and inclusive programs aiming to enhance agricultural production, food, water and nutrition security, sustainable ecosystems management, natural resources use, land-use planning and management, and climate change adaptation. He also supports agriculture sectoral policy processes.
Amath Pathé
Sene
Managing Director Africa’s
Food Systems Forum (AGRF)
Amath Pathé Sene
Pathé is an Agricultural Engineer by training and Climate and Environment Expert. He has over 18 years’ experience in the fields of agriculture, green finance & Agri value chains development, environment, climate change and sustainable natural resource management, food systems and nutrition security, rural development, and poverty reduction; rural infrastructure development; safeguards and de-risking public and private sector investments in sustainable agriculture.
Njieforti
Princewill Gana
CEO and Founder,
Sustain Afric
Njieforti Princewill Gana
Njieforti Princewill Gana is the EVWA Champion 2023 under the Ban Ki-moon Center for Global Citizens and an award-winning sustainable agriculturalist. He is the founder and CEO of Sustain Afric, a non-profit organization that trains and empowers over 5,000 farmers across Africa. He is also an agricultural consultant, public speaker, trainer, and food system specialist with a passion for solving global challenges. He believes that the youths have the power to change the world and he strives to inspire them through his actions and words. In his spare time, he enjoys dancing, reading, and traveling.
Gana is a content creator and uses his videos to educate and advocate for climate-smart agricultural practices, the involvement of youths in Agriculture, etc.As a consultant, he has worked in the design and implementation of more than 40 projects worth over 500,000 dollars. He is an International public speaker and has been on one of the biggest platforms in Africa. He has a proven record in Marketing, Crop Production Advisory Services, Agricultural business, business development, and implementation.
Our partners
Royal DSM is a global, purpose-led leader in health and nutrition, applying bioscience to improve the health of people, animals, and the planet. DSM’s purpose is to create brighter lives for all which we achieve through developing products and solutions that address some of the world’s biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental and societal value.
EVWA Changemakers
Anna Ngwenyi Mafor
Anna Yeboah Boateng
Asma Jalloh
Angella Marjorie Atuhurra
Baliqees Salaudeen
Dorah Momanyi
Dorcas Lukwesa
Ebrima Jarra
Eneyi Oshi
Dorcas Moraa Nyamanya
Etimbuk Imuk
Fatima Kabir Umar
Greg Ikwe
Jiata Ekele
Joe Mapiki
Lilian Nakigozi
Linda Coffie
Marius Affonfere
Mathias Charles Yabe
Melvin Muna
Mosa Dolly Balesamang
Priscah Obutu Mongera
Priscillia Okpali
Sakina Usengimana
Segun Adegoke
Oluwafunmilayo Oyegoke
Ormiel Maganga
Oluwatomilola Mustapha
Phenny Omondi
Suzan Machera
Tusayiwe Sikwese
Angellah Chitanje
Ayomide Logo
Elizabeth Mvula
Germaine Akeza Nkunzurwanda
Joshua Ogunrinde
Jovia Kisakye
Kingsley Kalu
Lancelot Chiwanza Nyamaka
Malamine Badiane
Mireille Kazungu
Muhammad Yakubu
Njieforti Princewill Gana
Nkweto Mwaba
Olive Chilenga
Peace Okwara
Sophie Masika
Thadei Myungile
Tolulope Tawakalit Adewale
Vincent Muhoro
Viola Nakadama
