When Remigious Tebajjwa organized a YALILearns session on agribusiness in April, he knew he was addressing an unmet need in his community.
“Many youth don’t want to engage in the agricultural sector because of the challenges of a poor market, climate and time investment,” he says.
Remigious, president of the Single Voice Club, an organization aimed at training the next generation of investors, is working to teach his peers about the value of agribusiness and the economic opportunities the field affords.
Using the YALI Network Online Course Agripreneurship: A Path to the Future, Remigious organized a virtual session to remind young adults across Uganda about the myriad of agribusiness careers and resources available to them.
“I noticed over the course of my session that a lot of youth had lost hope; it was difficult for them to pay attention,” Remigious says. “But using real-world examples caught their attention and inspired them to make a difference in their communities.”
Asked about the virtual nature of his session, Remigious explained that, “The point is to deliver the message, in any format. If the world is changing, let’s embrace that change.”
Equally important was Remigious’ realization that he is not alone in the pursuit of agricultural opportunities and, more broadly, economic progress.
“I felt so energized sharing about agribusiness with other people,” Remigious says. “We lose nothing in lighting another candle. We are spreading the light of development to the world.”
Remigious, who grew up an orphan, understands intimately the struggle of the nation’s poor and is working to educate his peers not just about agricultural opportunities but also about the ways each and every young adult can be an advocate for someone less fortunate.
“There are so many children like me who are struggling on their own. Whether in an orphanage or abandoned by their parents, they all face the same pain. Being an orphan is like serving for a crime you never committed,” Remigious says.
“Imagine loving education and not having access to it just because you are an orphan, or not being able to eat hot meals, not having new clothes, and living in a world where you don’t exist.”
To counter these challenges, Remigious is making a concerted effort to give voice to the forgotten and inspire in them a hope for change.
“I want to plant a smile on people’s faces; I want to teach them that you can be happy regardless of your situation.”
