From Fields to Film: Senegalese Women Thrive in Agribusiness Revolution
Image source: Newsweek
A group of young women in Senegal has successfully launched an agribusiness by merging their new filmmaking skills with agricultural expertise and using social media to promote their products online.
It might not be common to imagine a young farmer like Anta utilizing YouTube, but she and her four friends are now earning a decent living by cultivating vegetables in their hometown of Ngoundiane. Previously, like many young women, they often migrated to the city for poorly paid, low-skilled work. In Senegal, unemployment affects one-third of women, with even higher rates among the youth.
In 2022, these women became part of the Agrijeune program, which receives support from the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the African Development Bank, and the Senegalese government. This initiative benefits 80,000 young people and generates over 8,000 decent jobs. Its primary aim is to train and provide loans to rural Senegalese youth for starting their own agribusinesses, with 50 percent of its focus on young women in rural areas.
However, Anta and her peers faced resistance from their community regarding their involvement in the project. “Even before Agrijeune, people laughed at us and mocked us during our training sessions. They believed that if we, as young girls, engaged in agriculture, we would remain in poverty,” Anta recounted.
According to Loise Waruguru Maina, a technical expert at IFAD, young rural women in Senegal encounter various challenges. “They have limited access to productive resources like land and financial aid. In certain rural areas, they also experience significantly higher illiteracy rates,” she pointed out. “Additionally, they lack representation in rural institutions and often do not possess formal business management training.”
Despite these hurdles, Anta and her team now grow crops like peppers and tomatoes successfully. Equipped with IT training, a business loan, and their YouTube channel, they are carving a path toward a brighter future. “The idea for our YouTube channel, Zenith TV, was to showcase our efforts and manage our marketing. We want to demonstrate that if we focus solely on agriculture, we can still thrive,” Anta stated.
Consequently, they have no intention of returning to the city or following their male counterparts abroad. Maina observed that the project has achieved remarkable progress so far, cultivating entrepreneurial ambition among young women and enhancing their income. This allows them not only to address their daily needs but also to reinvest and grow their businesses. “These young women are energetic and serve as excellent champions and leaders within their communities,” she remarked.
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