Dear Roots Africa Family,
You know, if you ever want to see what real change looks like. I mean, the kind that sticks, don’t look at the headlines or the conference stages. Look at the young people showing up every day in muddy fields, crowded classrooms, and remote villages, doing the quiet work that transforms everything.
These are our Change Agents.
They started off just like many others as students in our Changemakers Program. But over time, they’ve gone deeper. They’ve grown into leaders, mentors, and entrepreneurs. They’ve faced real challenges, found creative solutions, and brought others along for the journey. And now, they’re driving serious transformation in their communities from the soil all the way to the market.
You’ll get to meet some of them in the next few sections: Vivian, Deriphan, Allison, Antonio, Kaima, Zoleh, and Edward. I won’t give too much away here, because they can speak for themselves. But I will say this: they’re not just participants in our programs. They are the program. They’re the proof that our model works and that Africa’s future is already being built by its own young leaders.
So, who exactly is a Change Agent?
A Change Agent is someone who has gone through several stages of our Changemakers Program and has shown that they’re not only committed, they deliver real impact. These are people who roll up their sleeves, walk with farmers, collect data, solve problems, and build businesses that lift everyone up.
Here’s what makes a Change Agent stand out:
They belong to the communities they serve, they know the land, the people, the struggles, and the potential.
They’ve been trained through our mentorship and bootcamps, and now they train others; at least 10 changemakers and 30 farmers.
They are connectors, linking farmers to banks, knowledge to action, and local challenges to global solutions.
They’re not just teaching; they’re building sustainable businesses and leading by example.
And they carry both the spirit of service and the drive to lead.
They’re the reason Roots Africa isn’t just a program. It’s a movement. And I couldn’t be prouder to let them talk about themselves:
Meet: Abaliwano Vivian (Awich, Gulu, Northern Uganda)
"Most students leave campus with a degree. I wanted to leave with a difference."
I work as a connector between our pods and the community. At university, I support students, but I know we need more than just ideas; we need opportunity.
So I started talking to banks. At first, I did not even think they would take me seriously. But one meeting led to another, and eventually, DFCU Bank came on board. Now some of the farmers we work with can access loans for the first time.
It’s still small, but it’s a start. And for me, it’s proof that when young people are trusted and given opportunity, we can build real change one connection at a time.
— Vivian
📍 Impact: Up in Awich, northern Uganda, Vivian is growing two changemaker pods and opening doors, linking farmers with DFCU Bank and proving that financial access and better farming can go hand in hand.
Meet: Tumwesigye Deriphan (Mukono District, Uganda)
"Before I ever thought of agriculture as a career, it was just part of life. Part of growing up."
I grew up in the village waking up early, helping out with work, learning what it meant to wait for rain. That kind of life teaches you patience.
Since 2022, I’ve been helping farmers in my community shift how they work especially now that the climate doesn’t follow the old ways. When people started planting too early and getting poor yields, I encouraged them to wait, to observe. Sometimes just timing it differently makes a huge difference.
Thanks to my experience, I got an internship in Denmark. I’m still checking in, mentoring pods back home. I’m learning as much as I can out here, so I can come back with something useful. Because honestly, that’s where my heart is. Home.
— Deriphan
📍 Impact: With over 284 farmers and 350 changemakers across three universities and four districts, Deriphan is building bridges between youth and farmers and turning that network into a force for agribusiness, better data, and food security.
Meet: Allison .L. Kpahn (Nimba County, Liberia)
"People think data is just numbers. But for me, it’s stories; stories of farmers, seasons, and everything in between."
I work closely with farmers in rural Liberia. I train, I mentor, I learn. But over time, I realized that what really helps communities grow isn’t just tools or training, it’s being able to track what’s working and what’s not.
That’s why I got deep into our M&E framework. I started helping farmers write things down, document their yields, their planting dates, even the weather. At first, it felt strange to them. But now, it’s become part of how they farm. And once they started seeing the difference, better timing, better yields, they never looked back.
What I do isn’t fancy. But I believe in it. Because every time I train someone new or guide a changemaker, I see the ripple effects. And that’s enough to keep me going.
— Allison
📍 Impact: In Torglawin, Allison’s not just training 26 farmers, he’s earning trust, growing demo gardens, collecting data, and showing what’s possible when the right tools are placed in the right hands.
Meet: Taremwa Antonio (Fort Portal City, Uganda)
"Growing up, I watched farmers struggle, not because they didn’t work hard, but because everyone was on their own."
There were land disputes, middlemen taking advantage, and no real way for farmers to come together. People just stopped trusting. And when there’s no trust, it’s hard to build anything.
But I always believed we could do better together. So during our monthly M&E community visit, We started talking to a few farmers. One week later they formed a small group 15. That’s how the co-op began. Today, they have 40 members strong, and saved their first $100 for a community project. It’s not a lot, but it means they believe in each other now.
They plan together, share challenges, and show up for one another in the market. That kind of unity didn’t exist here before.
I’m not doing anything big. I’m just helping people connect. Because once farmers start trusting again, everything else becomes possible.
— Antonio
📍 Impact: In Kazingo and Kihondo, Antonio is helping 90 farmers and 30 changemakers from Mountains of the Moon University turn isolation into enterprise forming co-ops, adding value, and proving there’s power in working together.
Meet: Kaima Abubakar (Iganga District, Uganda)
"Sometimes, people think you need big machines or chemicals to farm well. But I’ve learned that nature already gives us what we need, if we pay attention."
I started small making organic pesticides from local plants, turning waste into compost, and storing hay to feed livestock during the dry season. It wasn’t flashy, but it worked. My animals stayed healthy. The soil got better. And people began to notice.
Now I’m helping launch a new pod. It’s still early days lots of walking, lots of explaining, and lots of listening. I train farmers, collect data, and help set up systems that will last. It's slow work, but I believe in starting right.
For me, this isn’t just about farming, it’s about showing that we can grow food, protect the land, and care for our health all at once. When you treat the land with respect, it gives back. And so do people.
— Kaima
📍 Impact: Across six off-grid communities, Kaima is supporting 200+ farmers with organic methods and livestock innovation, putting his own resources into fencing and pasture systems, and showing what leading from the front really looks like.
Meet: Zoleh Paye Yarkpah (Kpein Town, Nimba County, Liberia)
"In my community, women do most of the farming, but they’re rarely included in the big decisions. I always felt like that needed to change."
Working with the Pod, I’ve focused on making sure women like Ma Lucy have space, not just to work, but to speak, to lead, and to benefit from what they’re already building.
We’ve started small agri-projects where more women are involved, and you can already see the difference. There’s more confidence, more participation, and more people starting to see what inclusion really looks like.
It’s a small step, but it matters. If we’re talking about real development, everyone has to be part of it.
— Zoleh
📍 Impact: From Nengbeh to Tonglewin, Zoleh is leading the Ago Ambassadors Pod with 12 changemakers, reaching over 200 farmers and showing that real transformation starts when rural communities lead the way.
Meet: Edward S. Miaway (Gbeleyee, Nimba County, Liberia)
"Most of what I know didn’t come from books it came from working with farmers back home."
I started with Roots Africa as a student, just trying to solve small problems in my community. Over time, those small ideas grew. I got to work with local farmers, strengthen food systems, and support other young people doing the same.
Now, as a Mandela Washington Fellow, I’m learning at a global level, but everything I bring to the table comes from home. The way we farm, the way we lead, the way we look out for one another, that’s what shaped me.
I don’t see it as leaving. I see it as carrying Liberia with me everywhere I go.
— Edward
📍 Impact: From remote villages to the radio airwaves, Edward is uplifting over 200 farmers, mentoring youth, and launching Jungle Bee, reminding us all that rural voices can shape global change.
So here’s where you come in.
These Change Agents aren’t volunteers. They’re full-time leaders building farmer cooperatives, running trainings, collecting data, mentoring youth, and connecting the dots between universities and villages. This is their work. Their livelihood. Their calling.
And it’s working.
But for them to keep showing up and to reach more communities across Africa, we need to show up for them too.
Your support doesn’t just fund a role. It keeps the boots on the ground, the learning flowing, and the change growing from the bottom up. It helps real people do real work that makes a real difference.
If you’ve been looking for a way to make a lasting impact, this is it.
Because the future of African agriculture isn’t a dream, it’s already growing, one changemaker at a time. Let’s keep their light shining, for it impacts millions of others.
This is what I love seeing.
We must concrete the transformation strategy of our communities
Kudos to rootsafrica family for incredible support in this 👏 🙌 👍
Change is possible