PELUM Association Regional Secretariat

06/05/2026

📣 Call for Exhibitors!
Are you a young innovator, entrepreneur, or organisation advancing agroecology?
Showcase your work at the Youth Summit Exhibition and connect with changemakers, investors, and policy influencers.
Apply now and be part of the movement shaping sustainable food systems.
Follow the link below to register:
https://pelumassociationrs.org/online-registration.../

15/04/2026

Are you a young innovator or entrepreneur passionate about agroecology and policy change?

The PELUM Association is excited to announce that registrations are officially open for The Africa Regional Youth Summit on Agroecology Business and CAADP Kampala.
📅 When: 24th -26th June 2026
📍 Where: Kampala, Uganda.
💡 Theme: Investing in Youth for Agroecological Enterprises and Inclusive Policy Change.

Join young leaders, innovators, partners, and policy makers across Africa to connect, learn and shape the future of food systems through agroecology.

Do not miss the opportunity to be part of this event.
Register Now using the link below.
https://pelumassociationrs.org/online-registration-africa-regional-youth-summit-on-agroecology-business-and-caadp-kampala/

07/04/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐢
Meet the youth from Eswatini who are transforming the future of food through the Youth in Agroecology Business Learning Track Africa (YALTA) Project.

By transitioning from fields like Computer Engineering and Education into Agroecology, these three young leaders are blending diverse expertise to build a resilient food system:

✅ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Phumzile Thwala, a Computer Engineer, designed the "Soil Shaper" a manual tool that empowers women and smallholder farmers to practice minimal tillage and protect soil health.
✅ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: Murphy Dlamini, a Diploma Graduate Teacher, is scaling sustainable tunnel farming, using livestock manure to reduce costs and produce high-quality organic vegetables for the local market.
✅ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞: Siphiwe Dladla is bridging the gap for rural women by teaching value addition, turning indigenous crops like ginger and garlic into processed goods to ensure long term profitability.

Phumzile, Murphy, and Siphiwe are proof that when youth are empowered with technology and unwavering resolve, they don't just farm, they lead.

Together, we are cultivating a resilient, healthy, and prosperous future for people and the planet.
Follow the link below to learn more about their stories.

01/04/2026

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐘𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
Meet Niwewenka Yusta, a 33-year-old craftswoman from Kabarole District. For years, she viewed her beautiful handmade crafts created from agroecological waste like banana and tree fibers as just a hobby. Everything changed when she joined the YALTA Mentorship Program. Through the program, Yusta didn’t just sharpen her weaving skills, she transformed her entire approach to her livelihood:

 Food Security First: By adopting organic farming and better land management, she ensured her family was well-fed before scaling her business.

 Business Mindset: She gained vital skills in branding, packaging, financial
management and networking.

 The Outcome: Today, Yusta is a confident leader who supports her parents with kitchen gardens and pays her children's school fees on time.

'I never considered basketry as real work until the YALTA program.' Yusta shares. 'It gave me the confidence to be the ‘goalkeeper’ of my own success.

At PELUM Association, we are proud to support youth entrepreneurs like Yusta who are making Africa greener and more prosperous—one basket at a time.
To read more about Yusta’s story, click the link below:

Niwewenka Yusta is a 33 year old craftswoman in Ruteete Subcounty, Kabarole District. The mother of two deals in handmade crafts from Agroecological waste like banana and tree fibres. Out of these, she makes baskets, mats and other many products such as shopping bags. However, business was slow and....

31/03/2026

The Youth in Agroecology Business Learning Track Africa (YALTA) is an initiative that focuses on two areas: Youth in Agroecology business incubation and business mentorship and Youth participation in policy spaces.

YALTA Phase 2 is implemented by PELUM Association in Eastern and Southern Africa, targeting 1,250 youth. The programme is implemented in partnership with Biovision Trust Africa (BvAT), with funding from the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) under the Agroecology Promotion Programme (APP).

The YALTA Phase 2 is built on the success of Phase 1, which was initiated by the Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP), and implemented by PELUM Association country chapters and other partners in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia from 2020 to 2023.

Through the YALTA Phase 2 initiative, youth are being mentored to start and upscale agroecology businesses and innovations.
Follow our page for more updates and success stories from our young agroecology entrepreneurs.

23/03/2026

PELUM Association in partnership with the Netherlands Food Partnership(NFP), is pleased to present the Youth in Agroecology business Learning Track Africa(YALTA) Story Board, a platform that showcases youth led agroecology businesses and innovations across Africa for young people to learn, connect, and inspire action in agroecology.
Use the link below to access the storyboard.

https://yaltastoryboard.org/storyboard/

09/03/2026

As we celebrate the Internation Women Day 2026, PELUM Association recognises the role women mentors and changes agents play in sharing knowledge and amplifying women voices on land tenure security for women, access to resources and representation. When women have access to land, finance and other productive resources, they invest in agriculture which is a key productive sector in Africa, and as well start and expand their business to meet the food security, livelihood, health, and education needs and the general welfare of their families

05/03/2026

SAVE THE DATE
The future of Africa’s food system lies in the hands of its youth.
PELUM Association is excited to announce the Africa Regional Youth Summit on Agroecology Business and CAADP Kampala scheduled 24th to the 26th of June 2026 under the theme Investing in Youth for Agroecological Enterprises and Inclusive Policy Change.
The Summit is not just a meeting but a platform for experience sharing and action. It will convene youth leaders, agroecology entrepreneurs, policy makers and partners across Africa to
• Knowledge Exchange- Share practical experiences and best practices in agroecological businesses and innovations for the youth.
• Shape Policy - Develop a Continental Youth in Agroecology Engagement Strategy that defines their roles, responsibilities, and leadership in the CAADP Kampala implementation.
• Build Partnerships- Catalyze collaborations between youth agroecology actors and CAADP institutions and partners
It is time to move beyond discussions and ensure meaningful youth engagement in policy processes while investing in youth led agroecological businesses for a healthy and sustainable future.

03/03/2026

🌿 World Wildlife Day 🌿
Today, we celebrate the 2026 theme on medicinal plants,plants that support health, culture, and local communities.

For generations, smallholder farmers and Indigenous communities in Africa and around the world have protected and shared knowledge of native plants used for food, healing, and ceremony.

At the PELUM Association, we recognize the vital role of small holder farmers through supporting famer managed seed systems and advocating for the rights of farmers to protect& preserve indigenous seeds.

Protecting indigenous plants isn’t just about biodiversity ,it’s about culture, health, and resilient ecosystems for future generations.

26/02/2026

PELUM Association hosted the Africa Women Learning Exchange on Land Rights and Agroecology 2025 scheduled 22nd - 23rd October 2025, at Kasarani Sports view Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya. The event organised under the theme: Women in agroecology championing land rights and land tenure security for food system and rural livelihood resilience in Africa brought together over 40 participants from Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda including rural women, female youth, professional women, male allies, CSOs, development partners and Government representatives to share and showcase best practices in securing land tenure security for women across different countries in Africa.
Follow the link below to view the insights of the meeting.

The PELUM Association hosted the Africa Women Learning Exchange on Land Rights and Agroecology 2025 scheduled 22nd - 23rd October 2025, at Kasarani Sports vi...