The Nkabom (Unity) Collaborative (formally Nutrition and Sustainable Agri-food Collaborative) is set to transform the agrifood ecosystem in Ghana and beyond. This ambitious project, spanning from 2024 to 2034, aims to address structural disconnects between educational institutions and the workforce, particularly focusing on African youth in urban areas and rural farming communities. At the heart of the Nkabom Collaborative is a commitment to move beyond traditional, theory-based education by incorporating experiential learning. Through experiential learning, the Nkabom Collaborative will equip young people with the practical skills and credentials for successful employment and entrepreneurship in the nutrition and agri-food sector. This approach is especially targeted at empowering young women, internally displaced persons, and people with disabilities, ensuring that opportunities are inclusive and accessible.
The Nkabom Collaborative includes esteemed Ghanaian universities, a nonprofit organization, and McGill University. Together, they form an international Community of Practice – a “living laboratory” that connects classrooms to farms, students to entrepreneurs, and innovative ideas to thriving enterprises.
The Mastercard Foundation has played a pivotal role in supporting this initiative. The foundation's Young Africa Works Strategy has been instrumental in shaping the collaborative's vision and activities.
Prof. Anja Geitmann, Vice-President (Global Engagement) at McGill University, highlighted the importance of unity and partnership during the opening remarks at the collaborative meeting. "The Nkabom Collaborative is more than a project. It reflects our collective determination to bridge the gap between education and employment, to empower African youth, especially young women, displaced persons, and people with disabilities, and to foster dignified, fulfilling livelihoods rooted in sustainable nutrition and agriculture," she stated.
Over the next decade, the Nkabom Collaborative will focus on three strategic objectives:
- Education: Promoting climate-smart, traditional, and nutrition-rich agri-food practices through experiential learning and community-based action research.
- Access and success: Ensuring inclusive and flexible learning opportunities for young people, including women, refugees, people with disabilities, and internally displaced people, to support their career success and transform the nutrition-agri-food sector.
- Entrepreneurship: Equipping education ecosystems with the policies, networks, skills, leadership, and resources to nurture youth-driven ventures that address critical needs in the nutrition-agri-food ecosystem and spur inclusive economic growth.
By linking all activities to these strategic objectives, the Nkabom Collaborative aims to expand access to high-quality training, empower more young Africans with dignified, fulfilling work and support youth entrepreneurship that drives employment and innovation in Africa.
To ensure effective coordination and long-term impact, the Nkabom Collaborative has established its Secretariat at McGill University, led by Mr. Pierre Brunache, Jr., an international development specialist with extensive experience across more than 20 sub-Saharan African countries. The Secretariat will foster deeper collaboration among partners, support scaling of successful initiatives, ensure long-term impact, and advance the shared vision of sustainable development and inclusive growth across Africa.
📩 Connect and Collaborate with the Secretariat
For inquiries or to explore partnership opportunities with the Collaborative, please contact Pierre Brunache, Jr., Director of the Secretariat, at pierre.brunache [at] mcgill.ca.
