Proposal to vote on, by Monday 29 Sept
Restoring soil and livelihoods in Cameroon through youth-led regenerative farming scholarships
Funds required: £2,000
Local partner:
Kuta Cornelius

Summary

This is a proposal to fund a nine-month pilot project in Ngoumou and Bankomo, Cameroon , supporting 20 marginalised youths (70% of them girls), including internally displaced persons—to train in regenerative agriculture and business skills.

Specifically this proposal will fund the scholarships of 5 internally displaced girls to complete the programmes 2025/26 cohort.

Through classroom lessons, hands-on farming, mentorship, and startup support, scholars will launch their own agro-enterprises while restoring 10 hectares of degraded land and improving food security for 5,000+ households.

This project is led by Kuta Cornelius, founder of the Wandusoa. For years, Kuta informally trained smallholder farmers and displaced youths in sustainable farming, driven by a simple conviction: healthy soil is the backbone of healthy communities.

Man smiling while holding soil in his hands, standing in a lush, green garden with trees and a pond in the background.
In 2023, Wandusoa was formally established to scale this vision. Backed by a small team of five experienced farmers and local agronomists, Kuta has already trained 21 youth entrepreneurs (most of them displaced girls) and reached over 500 farmers through school and community programmes.

But Kuta’s ambition extends further. With an ecological training centre under construction, Wandusoa is preparing to host its next cohort of students in October 2025. These 20 young people will not only learn to farm but also to run regenerative businesses, feeding their families, restoring the land, and spreading knowledge through their communities.

If we fund this pilot, we are backing Kuta’s leadership, providing scholarships for 5 young displaced girls (25% of the cohort) and a model that connects livelihoods with ecological restoration.

Why this matters

Degraded soil is undercutting food security and livelihoods across Cameroon. For displaced and low-income families, the stakes are immediate: unreliable harvests, rising food costs, and few pathways into dignified work. Women often carry the heaviest burden yet have the least access to tools, training, and finance.

Person wearing a yellow rain hat planting a small tree in a lush, green forest setting.
Wandusoa’s model tackles these barriers head-on. It pairs hands-on regenerative training (agroforestry, permaculture, beekeeping, and livestock) with business skills and mentored startup support, turning students into soil stewards and income earners. Scholarships make this pathway accessible to young women who would otherwise be excluded.

What the project will change

For 20 young people, this project will be life-changing. Instead of seeing displacement, poverty, or lack of opportunity as the end of their story, they will gain tools, knowledge, and startup capital to grow something new.

Graduates in caps and gowns proudly hold certificates, posing with faculty and family in front of a decorated venue.
For five young women, a scholarship means stability: daily meals during intensive farm days, protective gear (boots, raincoats, gloves), tools, and a seat in a classroom that leads to real income.

For the wider community, these women become multipliers—restoring plots, modelling climate-smart practices, and sharing knowledge with neighbours. As graduates move into the three-month mentorship phase, they’ll develop viable plans to launch enterprises on Wandusoa-linked land, contributing to healthier soils, steadier harvests, and more resilient local food systems. Families will have greater access to affordable, nutritious food. Ten hectares of degraded land will be restored, improving biodiversity and climate resilience.

Over time, these 20 graduates will become local leaders, shifting practices, mindsets, and futures from extractive to regenerative.

Attachments

Please find the supportive attachments for your review here:

That's all!

Please cast your vote by Monday 29 Sept, and if you have any questions regarding the proposal you can reach out to the Kwanda team on team@kwanda.co