Young Turkana Smart Farmers Launch ‘Roots of Resilience’ Climate-Smart Farming Project

Young Turkana Smart Farmers a youth-led group based in Lodwar, Turkana has launched the Turkana Roots of Resilience project, a six-month initiative running from April to October 2026 that aims to expand climate-smart farming at Turkana Girls Secondary School and extend its reach into 200 surrounding families. The project is supported by a EUR 1,500 grant from the Global Youth Mobilization Youth Empowerment Fund.

At the centre of the project is a demonstration farm at Turkana Girls Secondary School, where 50 student leaders and 10 teachers will receive hands-on training in drought-resistant crops sorghum, millet, and fast-harvest vegetables alongside drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and soil health monitoring using field testing kits. The remaining 600 girls at the school will benefit through peer demonstrations and mentorship circles led by the trained cohort.

The project runs in three phases: farm expansion and irrigation installation in months one and two; training workshops for students, teachers, and community families in months three and four; and structured monitoring and follow-up visits in months five and six. Transport costs cover five outreach trips to move participants and materials, with community farm days organized by Kameline Kkhayanga, the group's Community Outreach Coordinator.

Project Lead Christine Wanalo, Training Coordinator Catherine Wamai, and M&E Lead Millie Ndeda form the core team, with academic and on-site mentorship provided by 10 teachers from Turkana Girls Secondary School. The Turkana Agricultural Development Organization (TADO), a local NGO specializing in climate-resilient agriculture, is the implementing partner, providing technical training expertise and ensuring practices can be sustained beyond the grant period.

The project directly addresses conditions specific to Turkana: a region where prolonged drought has made traditional pastoralism increasingly precarious, where women and girls often remain behind when men move with livestock, and where there has historically been little practical infrastructure for diversified food production. By training girls who then teach their families, the project builds an intergenerational knowledge chain designed to outlast the six-month funded cycle.

The project is led by Yvonne Naumwo Wekulo (Project Lead, Global Youth Mobilization affiliate) and targets SDGs 2, 4, 5, and 13 Zero Hunger, Quality Education, Gender Equality, and Climate Action. A total of 660 people students, teachers, and family members will be directly reached.

“When we invest in a young pastoralist woman’s leadership, we invest in the next thirty years of change in West Pokot.”