In a powerful reflection marking two decades of impactful work, Andrew Gashayija, Team Leader of Kilimo Trust Rwanda, outlined the organization\u2019s significant contributions to agriculture, youth employment, and climate resilience in Rwanda. Gashayija emphasized that the core mission has been \u201cfostering market access, creating jobs, and promoting climate-resilient agriculture\u201d\u2014goals that have already transformed thousands of lives across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the past twenty years, Kilimo Trust\u2019s initiatives have directly benefited around 350 smallholder farmers. The organization has supported more than 200 emerging businesses and successfully skills trained over 2,000 youth, resulting in the creation of nearly 10,000 jobs. \u201cOur work in Rwanda is about building a resilient and inclusive agricultural sector that can withstand climate shocks and provide sustainable livelihoods,\u201d Gashayija stated during a recent forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During an interactive session with members of the media, Gashayija engaged participants in a discussion about the food system\u2014a concept vital to understanding agricultural development. \u201cA food system is everything from seed to farm, to harvest, storage, processing, and finally to the consumer\u2019s table,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt involves many players, including farmers, transporters, processors, retailers, and consumers, all working together as part of a complex ecosystem.\u201d This holistic approach is central to achieving sustainability and resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using concrete examples from Rwanda, Gashayija highlighted the major challenges facing local farmers. \u201cBetween 15% and 30% of produce like maize, beans, and tomatoes is lost before it even reaches the market,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is due to inadequate storage facilities, poor transportation, and limited processing capacity.\u201d For example, tomato farmers in Goma district suffer losses of up to 30%, or around 10 tons of produce per season, because of spoilage during transit. \u201cHigh humidity and heat accelerate this spoilage, forcing farmers to sell at lower prices or discard their surplus,\u201d he added. \u201cThis not only impacts their income but also discourages them from expanding their cultivation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To address these issues, Kilimo Trust has partnered with the government and local communities to implement practical solutions. \u201cWe\u2019ve supported farmers to build zero-energy coolers and simple drying sheds,\u201d Gashayija explained. In one notable example from Musanze, a cooperative producing onions and garlic was losing 30% of its harvest due to poor drying and storage. \u201cAfter constructing a drying shed that takes only 45 days to build, these farmers now earn around 3.5 million Rwandan francs annually from drying services. It\u2019s a small intervention that has made a huge difference,\u201d he emphasized. \u201cIt shows that targeted infrastructure can generate social and economic benefits in a very short time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gashayija called on Journalists to help amplify these success stories through media and partnerships. \u201cWe need to tell these stories better, to inspire more collaboration and participation,\u201d he urged. Recognizing climate change as a major obstacle, he highlighted ongoing efforts to equip farmers and youth with climate-smart agricultural practices. \u201cWe are training young people in greenhouse farming, irrigation technologies, and water conservation techniques to help them adapt to unpredictable weather and changing seasons,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also underscored the importance of engaging Rwanda\u2019s youth, pointing out that roughly 60% of the population\u2014about 7.8 million people\u2014are under 25. \u201cThis demographic represents a huge opportunity for sustainable growth,\u201d Gashayija affirmed. \u201cInvesting in their skills and creating employment opportunities in agriculture and food processing will shape the future of Rwanda\u2019s food security.\u201d Kilimo Trust\u2019s programs include microbiology, food safety standards, and processing techniques, ensuring youth produce safe, high-quality food that meets both national and international standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Concluding his remarks, Gashayija invited media to collaborate more closely with Kilimo Trust. \u201cTell us what you need to help tell these stories and make a bigger impact,\u201d he said. \u201cTogether, we can build a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food system that benefits everyone, especially our young farmers and entrepreneurs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His message resonated clearly: partnership, innovation, and community involvement are key to transforming Rwanda\u2019s entire agricultural ecosystem. As Kilimo Trust continues its journey, the outlook for East Africa\u2019s food security and youth empowerment remains optimistic, rooted in shared efforts and forward-looking strategies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a powerful reflection marking two decades of impactful work, Andrew Gashayija, Team Leader of Kilimo Trust Rwanda, outlined the organization\u2019s significant contributions to agriculture, youth employment, and climate resilience in Rwanda. Gashayija emphasized that the core mission has been \u201cfostering market access, creating jobs, and promoting climate-resilient agriculture\u201d\u2014goals that have already transformed thousands of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa-focus","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=164"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":170,"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164\/revisions\/170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africadiplomacy.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}