Young Africa Summit Works - students learn

MasterCard Foundation hosted its inaugural Young's Africa Summit in 2015 in Cape Town, South Africa, from October 29-30. Preparing young people gathering to agriculture employment and entrepreneurship. REUBEN KYAMA, University World News, Ret ROY, President and CEO of the Toronto-based foundation, the end of the summit.

UWN: What do you think will come out of the summit, the summit in terms of new ideas around the theme of sustainable youth employment and development strategies?

Roy: It was really meant to be a practical example of the summit, the way to transition into employment for young people, especially in the agricultural sector, which is so extensive, however, economic and social transformation of the continent's critical jobs can be carried around in the fresh thinking.

I think that was the first thing to come out of the summit is a great power; that’s what I've heard is that we put young people to work in the middle of the summit. Young people are already examples of actions we saw quite a few tests.

Listen Rabbit Centre in Africa, we have a young entrepreneur at the age of 14, and we found out yesterday that the US $ 1,000 a year in each of the rabbit, which was remarkable statistics can generate income.

Again, a young entrepreneur, he grew on his farm in a woman - financial services and data we have seen an example of a mediator. He called himself a farm girl! Today, what we would call the farm is backed by a company's data and technology.

So, I think that's the first thing. At the same time, we're showing a lot of the agricultural sector, that there are models, which are innovative and fast moving. So, what is possible is to present an alternative to the new approach.

Secondly, I think the real issue for us to move on. What are some of the limitations of financial institutions? What are some of the limitations of young people?

And yet, at the same time, what some of the solutions to overcome them - whether it's financial education, create financial models Group, ways to offer financing through mobile technology - that's a big problem.

The role of the private sector to create demand in the market in terms of responsiveness and we play out.

I was just a session of an organization called the Harames, which is right here in South Africa, all of a very special model is about understanding where the economy is depending on demand.

Deep 680,000 jobs in the agricultural sector in South Africa and how they could map the majority of these jobs, students or young people who do not even have to be a study that showed a basic level. So, what it reveals to us that there is the possibility - the possibility that we see today, but it is not here.

UWN: What is the role of higher education to build skills, particularly in agriculture? Is there training in agriculture, or other ways in which higher education can help the development of skills in this area needs significant expansion?

Roy: higher education at various levels plays a very powerful role, I think.

All the agricultural sector in the future, science, technology and education is about. There is no knowledge to support that kind of growth, that is, higher education institutions to create a better way than through. So, have a role to educate and who are coming through the education system, whether at the undergraduate or master-level entrepreneurs are prepared for the future.

Secondly, so much of what is going to happen in the agricultural sector has to operate in a global knowledge-based economy.

The seed around which the different technologies, better methods of planting, soil analysis, and mitigation of climate change impacts as well as the way it can be - then, universities have become even more productive in terms of the creation of the research we need. There are myriad ways in which higher education can contribute to that kind of knowledge.

The third is something that does not pay enough attention. Many universities have been created from incubators - ways to create new technologies. Some of these technologies will be able to market, and contributed to industrial growth.

If we examine closely, probably many ways, they are able to contribute to higher education.

And the answer to your second question is yes.

There needs to be a higher level of investment, technical and scientific training as well as practical experience in terms of applied learning to young people so that they can be left in a workplace environment.

Workplace environment that is not only an office or employment in the formal; Also, it is not a farm, a factory or a service industry, but all of these things tie back very closely in the agricultural value chain.

UWN: What will the MasterCard grants in Africa?

Roy: The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program is our most significant program to date. US $ 500 million in the second year of an initiative to educate young people in Africa and is based on the university level. It is more than a scholarship.

Personal supply of books - fees, room and board, a child or a young person needs to be a student, and learning to be, without a doubt it. Most importantly, tutoring, career counseling, internships volunteer to work also really focus on young people throughout their development.

One of the most important aspects of this program is the expectations and values, which promote early, even though the selection of young people. We encourage young people to think about their lives as a tool for change.

We ask them to start thinking about now - how you're going to give back to society? A wonderful opportunity to learn and develop yourself if you need to apply your knowledge, how would you make the world a better place? How would you improve and give back to the community?

A doctor, a lawyer, an agronomist, or whether you choose to become a teacher, think about your leadership. You have to be a role model for other students in your community? It will lead to your profession and you have to find ways to make a contribution?

UWN: What are partnering with African universities?

Roy: The University of Cape Town and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, there are two well-regarded universities. We are also working with the African Leadership Academy in South Africa, to prepare young people for university.

Maker ere University in Uganda there. University of Ghana Ashes [first African partner university foundation in 2012] and the Kama Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Also, I should mention that we are working with both Ethiopia and Rwanda educator Forum for African Women, which helps us with our secondary education programs have been launched.

Ghana we are working with the women's literacy campaign, to educate young people, secondary and higher education level. Most of the students who learned through this program will be coming in.

UWN: What is the role of training future leaders of higher education, including in the field of agriculture, you see?

Roy: First of all, I think we are working with universities such as Maker ere University and the Kama Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, who have strong experience in agriculture.

I should mention the African continent, EARTH University in Costa Rica, which is very well known for its sustainable development programs are also out of work, and we have a very strong group of students who are studying there in Africa.

Your leaders, and leaders of questions about how we prepare for the agricultural sector - the answer is really very simple. One was a wonderful experience to be part of a quality education.

In a part of a quality education, offering students the opportunity to entrepreneurship - projects and companies to create. All of these young people will have internships in the field, in their countries of origin, some other African countries; it is their knowledge base and their experiences.

But the core component of their education is to develop leadership skills. These can be small or big. Leadership positions in clubs or student organizations on campus, and sometimes the other conferences do not have to submit them for - international venues to present their ideas.

These grow and, among other things, presentation skills, critical thinking and teamwork skills that are critical for the development of all the options. This is the basis for future leadership.

UWN: What are your key take-always from the summit in relation to tertiary education?

Roy: One of the most important is that I have to bring them across the board are showing us the way out of this conference, I am inspired by young people. Many of them are produced by higher education.

They are showing us the problems and challenges, not only to recognize the ability of society - in this case the limits of agriculture - but also they have to apply the knowledge they have acquired to create solutions. That's why I left inspired.

We have heard many promising aspects of other big plays in this conference for higher education, the future leaders of the play only to produce but also to come and contribute to the renewal and future prospects [for] a.

The last thing I would add is that as one of the reasons why so privileged to be able to work with a vast continent that we are, is its diversity. Secondly, what I continue to see everywhere I go is more than hope.

It is a real opportunity for us to learn as a base. For us, we're meeting, an innovative, entrepreneurial leaders in higher education for young people across this continent.

This is a continent rich in ideas, and we are able to rich people acting on their own ideas, sometimes with very limited resources. They show what can be done, in fact, are the true innovators.

What if you work in partnership with African organizations and African leaders we can get, I continue to be optimistic.