Rooting Change: How CO.I.KA is Empowering Youth Through Agroforestry in Eastern Rwanda
In Rwanda’s Eastern Province, a group of determined young people is proving that agriculture can be a pathway to both prosperity and environmental protection. Koperative Igiti Kabarore (CO.I.KA), a youth-led agroforestry cooperative in Gatsibo District, has transformed from a struggling start-up into a thriving business—thanks to hands-on training from the YEFFA project. Now managing thousands of fruit and forest seedlings, these young changemakers are growing profits, restoring land, and inspiring a new generation of green entrepreneurs.
“This cooperative was born out of the desire to build something for ourselves, to tackle unemployment head-on, and protect our environment,” says Butera Aime, the cooperative’s president. “At first, it was not easy—we lacked technical know-how, and many of our seedlings were lost.”
Like many grassroots initiatives, CO.I. KA faced early challenges. With limited knowledge in nursery management, many of their initial tree seedlings did not survive. However, a turning point came when the members received professional training from Akazi Kanoze, a key implementing partner of the Youth Engagement for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEEFA) project.
From Struggles to Strength
Funded by the Mastercard Foundation and AGRA, the YEEFA initiative equips young people across Rwanda’s Eastern Province with the skills and resources to succeed in the agri-food sector. The training delivered by Akazi Kanoze empowered the members of CO.I.KA to improve nursery practices, strengthen marketing strategies, and enhance their project management capabilities.
“Thanks to Akazi Kanoze and the YEEFA project, we learned how to properly manage tree nurseries, market our products, and even how to manage our projects financially,” says Uwineza Fabiola, a proud cooperative member. “This support gave us the confidence and capacity to scale up our work.”
Today, CO.I. KA is thriving. The cooperative currently manages:
• 6,000 avocado seedlings (sold at 1,000 Rwandan Francs each),
• 10,000 Grevillea seedlings (sold at 50 Francs each), and
• 4,000 Eucalyptus seedlings.
With an initial investment of just 1.5 million Rwandan Francs, CO.I. KA projects a profit ranging between 5 to 9 million Francs—a powerful indicator of the cooperative’s growing impact.
“Before YEEFA, many of us didn’t see agriculture as a real career,” says Manirafasha Emmanuel, another cooperative member. “But now, we see how agroforestry can bring income, protect our environment, and improve nutrition in our communities.”
“The training changed everything for us,” adds Uwanziga Dative, a member and community mobilizer. “We’re more organized, confident, and even inspiring others. YEEFA opened doors we didn’t even know existed.”
More Than a Business—A Movement
Beyond generating income, CO.I.KA is deeply committed to its broader mission: to promote environmental stewardship and fight malnutrition. By encouraging families to plant fruit trees and integrate agroforestry species into their farms, the cooperative is tackling both climate change and food insecurity.
“We are not just selling trees—we are planting hope,” Butera emphasizes. “Fruit trees help fight malnutrition, and agroforestry trees provide animal feed and protect the soil. This is how we fight climate change at the grassroots level.”
The cooperative also employs a full-time staff member, paid 60,000 Rwandan Francs per month, and continues to grow its community influence and technical capacity.
Unlocking Youth Potential Through YEEFA
The success of CO.I.KA is part of a broader transformation driven by the YEEFA project, which is addressing youth unemployment in Rwanda through innovation in agriculture. The project is implemented by a consortium of six organizations: Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF), Akazi Kanoze Access (AKA), African Development Consultants (ADC), Agribusiness Solutions Ltd (ABUSOL), Youth Engagement in Agriculture Network (YEAN), and Empower Rwanda.
So far, over 300,000 youth have been mobilized and registered on the YEEFA digital platform, with women making up 70% of participants. These youth are trained in essential work-readiness skills and guided into high-potential value chains like horticulture, poultry, grain aggregation, and value-added processing.
The journey of Koperative Igiti Kabarore is a testament to what can happen when youth are given the right tools, knowledge, and encouragement. It’s not just about planting trees—it’s about planting a better future for communities, the environment, and generations to come.
