From April 2025 to March 2026, Alego Young Entrepreneurs CBO implemented the Youth Voice and Empowerment Project, a transformative initiative sub-granted by Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO). The project focused on strengthening youth leadership, amplifying youth voices, and equipping young people with practical skills to create sustainable livelihood opportunities while advancing climate action.
A central component of the project was youth capacity building on the groundnuts value chain and tree seedling nursery enterprise establishment and management. Through hands-on trainings, mentorship, and practical demonstrations, young people gained knowledge and skills to actively participate in climate-smart agricultural enterprises.
Groundnuts were promoted as a climate-smart and drought-tolerant crop, making them highly suitable for areas increasingly affected by unpredictable weather patterns. Youth were trained across multiple opportunities along the groundnuts value chain, including improved production practices, post-harvest handling, aggregation, marketing, and value addition such as roasting, peanut butter processing, and packaging for local markets. These value chain opportunities enabled young people to diversify income sources and establish sustainable agribusiness ventures.
The project also supported the establishment of tree seedling nurseries, linking youth enterprise development with climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. Tree planting contributes to carbon sequestration, restoration of degraded landscapes, improved soil fertility, and enhanced resilience to climate shocks such as drought and soil erosion. By building youth capacity in nursery establishment and seedling management, the project empowered young people to create green enterprises while contributing to environmental conservation.
The overarching goal of the project was youth job creation. By integrating youth empowerment, agribusiness development, and climate action, the initiative opened pathways for young people to generate income, build sustainable enterprises, and contribute to resilient community development.
Through this initiative, Alego Young Entrepreneurs CBO strengthened youth leadership and supported young people to become drivers of climate-smart innovation and economic transformation within their communities.