Children, Youth & Women Organizations in Agriculture Climate Action & Sustainability

Abstract

Mr. Keithlin Caroo, Executive Director at Helen's Daughters and IICA Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development shares the experiences of Helen's Daughters, which is a non-profit organisation based in St. Lucia and is now expanding to other islands of the Caribbean including St. Kitts & Nevis, focuses on the economic development of rural women through improved market access, adaptive agricultural techniques, and capacity-building. Helen's Daughters works at a grassroots level providing training, mentorship, micro-investment, access to high-value markets, and a structured care system for rural women farmers, who have largely been unacknowledged and under-supported in the agricultural sector. They also use advocacy to address gender inequalities by seeking opportunities for female farmers, and to put food security and climate resilience in the public and policy agenda. Helen's Daughters' advocacy involves leveraging media opportunities and partnerships with the public and private sectors to position rural women as key actors in driving sustainable development in the Caribbean. Ms. Caroo speaks on the program that Helen's Daughters offers to help empower women in agriculture which includes, the Agri-Apprenticeship Programme, FarmHers Market, Rural Women’s Ag-cademy and Women’s Farmers Academy among others.

Mr. Alpha Sennon, Founder of WHYFARM shares the experiences of WHYFARM (We Help You-th Farm), an NGO in Trinidad and Tobago that pioneers Agricultural Educational Entertainment (Agri-Edutainment) with a mission to promote the importance of sustainable agriculture among youth and children, build their capacity in Agricultural Entrepreneurship, and empower them to contribute to achieving global food and nutrition security by the year 2050. WHYFARM has developed AGRIMAN and PhotosyntheSista, the 1st Food and Nutrition Security Superheroes, that inspire future feeders. Mr. Sennon speaks on strategies for getting children and youth more engaged in agriCOOLture, and delves into some of the agricultural educational entertainment that WHYFARM develops including comic and activity books for youth and children which are equally enjoyed by adults, motion comics, Farm visits, and Agriman School tours among others.