From theory to practice, a school club programme is turning rural learners into future agri-entrepreneurs.
In Ngounso, a rural community in Magba Subdivision, West Region of Cameroon, many young people grow up surrounded by farmland yet leave school with limited practical skills to turn agriculture into a source of income. Poor exposure to modern, sustainable farming methods remains a barrier to youth employment and food security in such areas.
It is this gap that Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) set out to address through its School Agroecology Programme, implemented at Change Drivers Comprehensive High School, Ngounso. During the first term of 2025, CAMGEW worked with 110 students during club activity periods, blending classroom lessons with hands-on agroecological practice.
The programme focused on three key areas: honey production, plant multiplication technology and soil conservation for healthy food. Students were introduced to plantain sucker multiplication, learning how to establish nurseries that can supply both school farms and local markets. An experimental nursery set up within the school has already produced successfully multiplied plantain suckers, which will soon be transplanted to the school farm.
The practical learning peaked on 18 December 2025 with a final agroecology session on honey production led by CAMGEW Executive Director Wirsiy Emmanuel. To reinforce earlier theory and demonstrations, each student was tasked with constructing a beehive of their chosen design and mounting it to attract bees. Beyond honey harvesting, the exercise highlighted the role of bees in pollination and sustainable crop production.
According to CAMGEW and school authorities, the objective goes beyond academic enrichment. The initiative is designed to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset among students, equipping them to create jobs and generate income during and after their schooling. Students are encouraged to replicate the plantain nurseries at home, opening opportunities for household consumption and sale within the local market.
The expected impact is significant for Ngounso and similar rural communities. By combining agroecology with entrepreneurship, the programme aims to improve food security, increase youth income and promote environmentally responsible farming practices. CAMGEW has expressed the ambition to extend the School Agroecology Programme to more schools across the region, should financial and institutional support be secured.
By Bakah Derick with reports
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