On a dry sunny day in a clinic at Mirigu in the Kassena Nankana West District of Ghana’s Upper East Region, Alice Atuligiya Agudabisa, a 26-year-old midwife, spends her days caring for patients in the clinic. 

Also a passionate farmer, climate change hasn’t spared her land. Year after year, unpredictable rainfall and long dry spells made farming nearly impossible. Her farm, located on a slope, often suffered further during heavy rains as water washed away the topsoil. 

“During the dry season, which can stretch over seven months here, we’re barely able to keep anything alive on the farm,” she shared. But Alice believed things could change.

When she heard about the Youth Climate Leadership Training of Trainers, a project by GAYO in partnership with Canada’s Climate Action Africa and Future At Play, a light bulb went on. Funded by Global Affairs Canada, this initiative wasn’t just another workshop; it was a mission. Its goal was to arm local farmers with the knowledge and techniques to cultivate crops even through the most brutal droughts, transforming them from victims of climate change into masters of their land.

Even more, it was a call for these trained farmers to become ambassadors and trainers, spreading these vital skills throughout their communities like seeds. “The name ‘Green Africa’ already caught my attention,” she recalled, “so I knew there’d be something valuable to learn.”

She joined the program and quickly immersed herself in sessions on climate adaptation, leadership, and most importantly, practical water conservation techniques tailored to drought-prone farming regions.

“I was so excited when we got to the water conservation part. Finally, I found practical techniques that I could actually apply to my own farm.”

Alice left the training inspired  and  ready to act. After completing the Youth Climate Leadership Training, she didn’t wait. She returned to her one-acre farm and began applying two powerful water conservation techniques she learned: zai pits and stone lines.

With her farm located on a slope, Alice creatively modified the stone line method, using more compacted soil than stones to control runoff and preserve moisture. She dug zai pits across the plot to capture and store rainwater directly where it’s needed most. These simple but effective techniques allowed her to make the most of every drop, even in the dry season.

Working alone, she painstakingly applied these methods across approximately 4,000 square metres. Though curious and skeptical at first, community members watched with growing interest. “People kept asking what I was doing. They had never seen anyone dig pits or build lines across their farms like that,” Alice said.

It wasn’t easy. Beyond the physical labor, Alice had to deal with the challenge of keeping livestock out of the field-a common issue in rural farming. “Sometimes animals would get in and trample parts of the farm,” she shared. But she persisted.

Just a couple of months after implementing zai pits and soil-based stone lines on her farm, Alice saw the results and so did everyone else. Her harvest showed a remarkable 50–60% increase in yield, even with the long dry spells still affecting the region.

For Alice, this wasn’t just about produce. It was proof that climate-smart farming works, and that young people have the tools to lead change in their communities. Her transformation didn’t go unnoticed. Farmers from her community started visiting her plot, eager to understand the new methods she had used.

“I had one woman tell me, ‘When I saw how your crops were thriving while the rest of us were struggling, I knew I had to come and learn from you,’” Alice shared with a smile.

She’s now taken the role of a local knowledge-sharer, walking others through the same techniques she learned through the project. What began as one woman’s determination has now sparked a ripple effect of youth-led, community-driven climate adaptation in Mirigu.

Let’s keep investing in youth like Alice. If you’d like to collaborate, support, or replicate this program, reach out to us.