Comfort Tshisikule and Thobeka Mzila are alumni of Nestlé’s graduate programme and in this episode of Farmer’s Inside Track, they share their journeys and the impactful work they are doing through Nestlé and the All4Youth Sub-Saharan Africa initiative.
Tshisikule leads youth learning and development, while Mzila is an agriculturalist at Nestlé for the east and southern African region. They are now active contributors to the All4Youth initiative, which aims to expose young people to various opportunities and equip them with the necessary skills for the workforce.
“So, the alliance for youth, it’s really about like-minded companies working together in helping young people to get necessary skills that will help them to thrive in the world of work. As we exist now, we have got a couple of alliance partners that we collaborate with, and this is really to ensure that we give young people opportunities for employability,” Tshisikule explains.
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Youth as a catalyst for change
This episode is especially relevant as it comes just after International Youth Day, which highlighted the theme “Youth as catalysts for change: Transforming food systems”.
This theme underscores the vital role of young people in driving innovation and sustainability in food systems. Tshisikule emphasises the importance of engaging youth in addressing critical global challenges such as health, nutrition, climate change, and social justice.
“Engaging our youth in this discussion and empowering them to drive innovation and change is crucial in ensuring that we create a better future for all,” Tshisikule says.
The All4Youth initiative is a collaborative effort among like-minded companies to equip youth with skills necessary for the workforce. Tshisikule and Mzila discuss the need for youth to take leadership roles and address issues such as sustainability and unemployment. They stress the importance of empowering young people with the skills and knowledge to drive change in the agricultural sector.
Tshisikule and Mzila also explain how sustainability and technology-driven solutions are key trends in transforming food systems. This includes the shift to renewable energy, smart agriculture technologies, and 100% traceability in products.
In this episode, they also address:
- Different ventures within the agricultural space;
- The importance of youth engagement and empowerment and more.
Dive deeper into the episode and gain insights from the award-winning Farmer’s Inside Track, officially recognised as Africa and the world’s best podcast at the 2024 Digital Media Awards presented by WAN-IFRA, the global press organisation.
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