Restoring soil and livelihoods in Cameroon through youth-led regenerative farming scholarships

This update covers student achievements at GBHS Mfou during a busy exam period as part of our Regenerative Agriculture School project.

Our student team finalised and submitted their 2025 School Enterprise Challenge business plan, incorporating revised sections on market research, financials, and impact metrics. They also secured the school canteen as the first buyer for their upcoming harvest. A 0.5-acre plot has been cleared and prepared for growing spinach and huckleberry.

Activities:

• Finalised and submitted business plan for School Enterprise Challenge 2025

• Updated business plan with market research, financial projections, and impact metrics

• Secured school canteen as buyer for spinach and huckleberry harvest

• Cleared and prepared 0.5-acre pilot plot for planting

• Received first draft of Ecological Learning Centre design and revised for compliance

• Designed WhatsApp campaign for January 2026

• Guided students through peer reviews and expert consultations

• Practised ICT and financial literacy by developing business plan summaries

We’re pleased to share significant developments in our regenerative agriculture programme.

The initiative has grown to 20 participants, welcoming five new members and an additional teacher to strengthen our training capacity. Teams are actively developing business plans for sustainable palm oil production and traditional Meyanga processing, with participants taking on specialised roles in production, quality control, and marketing.

The programme launch required strategic investments totalling 45,000 FCFA, covering essential didactic materials (20,000 FCFA), teacher transportation (10,000 FCFA), and participant refreshments (15,000 FCFA) to ensure productive sessions.

As we move forward, priorities include prototyping the proposed agricultural businesses and adapting our mentorship approach to accommodate our growing participant base. The enthusiasm from new joiners and continued community interest confirm the programme’s relevance in blending ecological restoration with economic opportunity.

Activities:

• Welcomed five new participants and one additional teacher, reaching 20 scholars total

• Explored business ideation focused on traditional practices: sustainable palm oil and Meyanga processing

• Participants self-assigned roles in production, quality control, and marketing

• Began preparing pilot plots to test sustainable ventures

Next steps include prototyping the business ideas and evolving our mentorship approach to meet the needs of a larger cohort.

Summary

Between 1–14 November, the program welcomed four new internally displaced girls, bringing the total number of scholars to 15. All participants are enrolled at Government High School Mfou. To supplement their studies, they take part in regenerative farming and entrepreneurship training through Wandusoa.

This period also saw the first business brainstorming session through the School Enterprise Challenge, as well as key progress on the design of the Ecological Learning Centre, developed in collaboration with Journeyman International and architect Cédric Delbeke. The team also welcomed advisor Paul Kronenberg (Kanthari) to support eco-friendly construction planning.

With the enrollment of four additional girls, the program now supports 15 scholars—each gaining access to education, daily meals, and practical livelihood training. Through household-level knowledge sharing, the initiative is indirectly benefiting more than 15 families.

This program is my first chance to learn skills that can help me feed my family.

— New Scholar

Activities

1. Participant enrollment and education integration

• Registered four additional internally displaced girls into the program

• Formalised a partnership with Government High School Mfou to host all project activities

• Enrolled all 15 scholars as full-time students at the school

2. Program kickoff

• Held the first classroom assembly to introduce regenerative farming and entrepreneurship goals

• Began business idea brainstorming sessions

• Integrated the cohort into the School Enterprise Challenge for structured business training

3. Ecological Learning Centre development

• Conducted an online design meeting with Journeyman International and architect Cédric Delbeke

• Reviewed the first draft of the Wandusoa Ecological Learning Centre design, focusing on eco-friendly materials and community-oriented layouts

• Welcomed Paul Kronenberg (Kanthari) into the working group to advise on environmentally responsible, low-impact construction

4. Community and institutional collaboration

• Held follow-up meetings with school administrators to align academic and project schedules

• Secured classroom space and farm plots for hands-on practical sessions

5. Monitoring and next steps

• Documented attendance and early engagement levels of all 15 scholars

• Planned field visits to map degraded land for upcoming restoration pilot plots

Challenges

The program faced significant disruptions in the originally planned locations of Bankomo and Ngoumou due to ongoing political instability. Community mobilisation and field activities were affected, prompting a strategic relocation to Mfou to ensure safety and continuity.

The move allowed us to:

• Maintain uninterrupted training and operations

• Build a reliable partnership with Government High School Mfou

• Expand engagement to the Mfou community

• Protect scholars from instability-related risks

This adaptive approach has enabled the program to continue delivering its planned outcomes while preserving quality standards. The team will keep monitoring conditions in the initial project areas for future expansion once stability returns.

Finances

No finances were used during this period.

Over the past two weeks, we’ve made steady progress across key areas of our project, despite disruptions caused by Cameroon’s political climate. We enrolled 4 additional participants, bringing our October 2025 cohort to 11, advanced the pre-design work on the Wandusoa Learning Ecological Centre, and joined the School Enterprise Challenge platform to strengthen our practical business education offerings.

Developments:

We expanded our October 2025 cohort to 11 participants and continued outreach to fill the remaining spots. This growth keeps us on track to welcome a full group of learners.

Activities:

The pre-design phase of the Wandusoa Learning Ecological Centre has progressed well. We’ve worked with Journeyman International and architect Cédric Delbeke to develop an eco-friendly, community-centred design. Informal discussions with local residents have provided useful input to guide the process.

We also successfully registered on the School Enterprise Challenge platform. This milestone connects our team with global resources, mentors, and fellow educators, helping us deliver hands-on entrepreneurship education.

Challenges:

The Cameroon Presidential Elections on October 12th and the delayed results created nationwide political tension. It became unsafe to gather participants or hold community meetings, so we had to pause operations. We adapted by postponing activities and shifting to one-on-one engagements where possible. Now that conditions have stabilised, we’re cautiously resuming.

Finances:

No finances were spent during this period.

The Restoring Soil and Livelihoods project has made strong progress over the past two weeks, despite heavy rains that slowed transportation and site access. Our team successfully completed critical pre-design assessments at the Mbankomo Permanent Site, ensuring the Wandusoa Learning Ecological Centre will reflect the local context and support regenerative farming. These steps are vital in creating a space where marginalised youth, especially internally displaced girls, can grow as regenerative farmers and entrepreneurs.

We’ve enrolled 7 participants for the October 2025 cohort so far, including 5 scholarship recipients supported by Kwanda, from internally displaced backgrounds. With a maximum of 20 participants, we’re actively working to fill the remaining spots by the end of the month. Notably, this cohort includes the first participants from the Ngoumou and Mbankomo communities, marking a key moment in deepening local engagement.

Our collaboration with Journeyman International and architect Cédric Delbeke remains strong, with a shared commitment to designing a culturally resonant and eco-friendly learning centre. This partnership is key to ensuring the project’s long-term sustainability and community ownership.

Heavy rainfall delayed transport and limited site access, but we adjusted work schedules to stay on track. Tool procurement also faced delays, which we addressed by sourcing locally and planning for future supply needs.

Next Steps:

• Finalise the Pre-Design Questionnaire

• Complete participant enrollment

• Prepare orientation materials for the October cohort

I’m writing to confirm that the funds (1,557,182 XAF) have been successfully received, as per the attached receipt (MTCN: 2547542014).

The process was smooth, and I’m grateful for your swift support in making this happen.

With the funds now secured, the first phase of the project officially kicks off today.

The receipt is attached for your records. Please let me know if you need any additional documentation or further details.