Yakini’s Tractor Dream Drives Agricultural Modernisation

Growing up in a smallholder farming family in NyakabingoVillage, Kayonza District, Rwanda, Yakini saw firsthand how much time and effort farming demanded.

His family cultivated with a hoe. Around him, some farmers managed larger plots but struggled to prepare their land quickly. Delays in planting sometimes affected their production.

Yakini wanted to be part of the solution. He dreamed of operating a tractor to help farmers save time, plant on time and improve productivity.

After completing secondary school in building construction in 2025, however, finding income-generating opportunities proved difficult. He lacked the technical skills and certification required to operate agricultural machinery professionally. His monthly income was below RWF 10,000 (approximately $6).

“I grew up seeing my family cultivate with a hoe. I wanted to use machinery to help farmers save time and improve their production. Operating a tractor was my dream, but I needed the skills to make it happen,” Yakini recalls.

The missing link: Skills and employment

Yakini had the motivation to work but lacked specialised training that could connect him to employment. Without professional tractor-operation skills and certification, entering the agricultural mechanisation sector remained a challenge.

Yet farmers needed faster and more efficient land preparation services. Connecting young people to these opportunities could help address both youth unemployment and farmers’ demand for mechanisation.

AGRA’s catalytic support opens the door

A social media post introduced Yakini to the Inclusive Agri-Services Delivery for Employment Creation (ISEC) project, implemented by Kilimo Trust through AGRA’s Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) programme, funded by the Mastercard Foundation.

Through the project, Yakini received practical agricultural mechanisation training at Nyamata Quatras VTC in Bugesera. He acquired the technical skills and certification needed to operate a tractor professionally.

The training opened the door to employment.

In July 2026, Yakini began working as a tractor operator, providing mechanised land preparation services to farmers. He initially earned RWF 170,000 per month (approximately $113). His monthly income has since risen to about RWF 200,000 (approximately $133).

His current earnings are more than twenty times his previous income of less than RWF 10,000 a month.

“The YEFFA programme is very important to me. Now my dream has come true because I have learned how to operate a tractor, and I want to buy my own,” he says.

For Yakini, the impact goes beyond higher earnings. He has gained a marketable skill, a profession and a pathway towards running his own business. His work also contributes to improving access to mechanised land preparation, helping farmers prepare their fields more efficiently.

From earning an income to owning a tractor

Yakini's next goal is to establish his own agricultural mechanisation business. But owning a tractor requires substantial investment.

He estimates that a new tractor costs about RWF 70 million (approximately $46,588), while a used one could cost around RWF 25 million (approximately $16,638).

Although the investment remains a major challenge, Yakini is determined to work towards it. He plans to save from his earnings, explore financing options through banks and initially consider buying a used tractor while working towards his longer-term goal of owning a new one.

He has also learned about Hello Tractor, a company that connects farmers with tractor services and provides opportunities to access machinery. He hopes to explore how working with the company could help him move closer to tractor ownership.

His ambition extends beyond personal success. He wants to employ other young people and expand access to mechanised services for farmers in his community.

Recognition of his employer at a recent agricultural show in Kigali further strengthened his confidence in his career choice.

“I was very impressed by the award given to my company at the recent agricultural show in Kigali. It made me realise that I had made the right choice,” he says.

A lesson for scaling youth employment

Yakini encourages other young people to work hard and recognise the opportunities available in the agri-food sector.

His journey demonstrates how practical training linked to market demand can help young people move from limited income to skilled employment, while contributing to more efficient agricultural services.

Through AGRA’s support to Kilimo Trust under ISEC, Yakinihas moved from earning less than $6 a month to approximately $133. His next ambition is to own a tractor, modernise agricultural services in his community and create jobs for others.