Sahel Opportunities II 

Enhancing the Economic Integration of Youth and Women for Sustainable, Climate-Adaptive Agriculture in the Sahel

The project

High-quality vocational agricultural training, incorporating agroecology and addressing the challenges of climate change, has the potential to transform the employability of young people and small-scale producers. By equipping them with technical skills, financial education, and entrepreneurial tools, such training programs enable them to develop sustainable activities that generate steady incomes.

The project "Sahel Opportunities II" aims to tackle their exclusion from formal training and integration systems by supporting local stakeholders in establishing Integrated Agricultural Training Sites (SIFA). These market-oriented centers are designed to build climate resilience by offering practical and innovative solutions tailored to local realities.

The project emphasizes environmentally friendly agroecological practices, such as sustainable soil management and water resource preservation, to enhance agricultural yields while protecting ecosystems. Partnerships are fostered between SIFAs, the private sector, and marketing networks, enabling trained youth to secure employment or start their own agricultural enterprises.

To make agriculture more appealing, often viewed as labor-intensive and unattractive, the project highlights the achievements of its beneficiaries, turning them into ambassadors for sustainable agriculture. This approach contributes to the creation of a resilient and inclusive local economy that can rise to the challenges of climate change.

Objectives

1. Facilitating the professional integration of youth and producers: Youth and producers engage in profitable, climate-adaptive agricultural activities through the acquisition of technical, vocational, agroecological, entrepreneurial, and market-related skills.
2. Promoting research and dissemination of innovative agroecological practices: SIFAs are recognized as centers of excellence for agroecological agricultural training and innovative practices adapted to climate change, empowering producers and improving the environmental impact of the agricultural sector.
3. Enhancing governance and institutionalizing SIFAs: SIFAs are officially recognized as vocational training structures and are autonomously managed by local stakeholders.

Expected Results

• 4,175 youth and producers, including 50% women, will have access to training.
• 70% of young adults and 80% of producers who complete the training will engage in profitable agricultural activities.
• 90% of active young adults will practice agriculture based on agroecological principles adapted to climate change.