Youth in Agriculture (YIA) - Senegal

Youth in Agriculture project certifies future 4-H leaders

YIA — Bineta Guisse (left), the project’s national director, talks with workshop participants during an icebreaker designed to foster team spirit.

YIA 2 — The trainers used hands-on activities to teach the elements of 4-H (belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity).

The Feed the Future Senegal Youth in Agriculture (YIA) team was in Kaolack, from March 18 through March 30 to lead a train-the-trainer workshop as part of their plan to scale up the 4-H positive youth development (PYD) program. In two back-to-back weeklong workshops, the YIA team trained over 40 youth development leaders on the principles and practices of 4-H and PYD.

In turn, these new certified trainers will each train at least four club leaders, who will then be equipped to lead 4-H clubs offering life skills, agricultural entrepreneurship skills, and competencies in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to youth ages 8 to 25 throughout Senegal.

Led by the project’s PYD Specialist Fatimata Kane, the workshop also relied on the expertise of National Director Bineta Guisse and Associate National Director Ya Cor Ndione.

The YIA team was backstopped by a team of Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech experts consisting of Bethany Eigel (Chesterfield County), Wendy Herdman (Westmoreland County), Tara Brent (Northumberland County), Caitlin Verdu (Arlington County), Kathleen Jamison (Professor Emerita), and Hannah Scherer and Tom Archibald (both from Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education).

Tom Archibald, director of the project, remarked that, “The training has had a remarkable impact on the participants, most tangibly evident during the graduation ceremony at the end of each week. Participants were highly motivated as they shared their visions of success for 4-H and PYD in Senegal.”

According to one high school biology teacher from Dakar, “This was a transformative experience.” In the words of a department head from the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, “I know that I have gained immensely from this workshop, on a personal level, and that my university has also gained, as we strive to be more engaged in community and economic development across Senegal.”

The Youth in Agriculture project has created a community of practice for trainers that will continue to gain professional development support and coaching via an online platform and through regular communication .