February 8, 2016
Sesa Mu held its second annual agribusiness day under the theme, “Youth and Agriculture: Debunking Myths, Exploring Opportunities.” The fair sponsored by Blue Skies, Moringa Connect, Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA) and Farmerline brought together students, farmers from Berekuso and professionals in the local agricultural industry on Ashesi’s campus.
The fair featured presentations and exhibitions from the various sponsors, and a panel discussion that addressed starting agri-venture businesses and how the youth can play a role in tapping into the enormous wealth pool of agriculture in Ghana. A group of farmers from Berekuso was also taken through a session on the importance of farming cooperatives.
“The main purpose of the Agribusiness Day was to open the community up to see how the agribusiness industry is playing a role in the economic development of Ghana,” said Sam Norman Sali ’16, co-founder of Sesa Mu. “We wanted to introduce the students to the various opportunities within the agricultural value chain.”
“We want to encourage people to tap into the opportunities agriculture has and also debunk some of the myths that surround the industry. We need to change our mindsets,” added Emmanuel Amapadu ’16, Sesa Mu co-founder.
The fair closed with a panel discussion where industry professionals interacted with students and addressed their perceptions of agriculture. They also touched on the breadth of possibilities that build around the value chain of agriculture. “There is incredible potential in agriculture to impact lives,” said Kwame Williams, co-founder of Moringa Connect. I have met a lot of incredible people, lots of poor people, lots of people who were struggling, but saw that they had a ton of resources in the soil, and in the trees around them. What is special about agriculture is that you can do it in a way that catalyzes benefits to everyone immensely; it’s not just about the money.”
Sesa Mu co-founded by Dalai Lama Fellows Emmanuel Ampadu ’16 and Sam Norman Sali ’16, is a project that aims to bring pineapple farmers in Berekuso together to build the Eastern Region’s biggest farmer cooperative, and boost economic growth in the area.
Sesa Mu recently secured a $6,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to enable them to implement their Youth In Agriculture program. The program will be targeted at youth in the 25 to 30 age bracket, using a curriculum built around three core values; agricultural innovation: practices that are environmentally friendly, leadership: engaging the youth through discussion to encourage them to apply ethical leadership in farming, and marketability: introducing the idea of building businesses about farms to meet their needs.
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