ALIN among Yobloco Award winners

By Nawsheen Hosenally

ALIN Director together with Bob Aston receiving Yobloco Award trophy

The Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) is among the nine (9) winners of the Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo Awards). The winners were announced on July 17, 2014 during the cocktail dinner organised at the International Fin4Ag Conference at Kenya School of Monetary Studies (KSMS) in Nairobi, Kenya.

ALIN emerged the best in East Africa region in the Institutional category through their blog Laikipia Rural Voices (LRV), thus winning Euro 3,000. Another winner in the Institutional category was Agropreneur Nigeria from West Africa through their blog Agropreneur Naija.

In the individual category Marthe Montcho (Benin), Le blog de Marthe MONTCHO won the 1st prize (Euro 1,500), Anne Matho (Cameroon), Les graines de l'info won the second prize (Euro 1,000) while Ajilore Oluwabunmi (Nigeria), Ecoagriculturist won the third prize (Euro 800).

Other winners were Mwenda David (Kenya), Foundation for young Farmers who won the best blog with business potential (Euro 1,000), Elcah Nafula Barasa (Kenya), Elcah's Blog (Best Female Blog (Euro 1,000), Inoussa Maiga (Burkina Faso), Googol Farmer,Best blog on family farming-Individual category (Euro 1,000), Savannah Young Farmers Network (Ghana), SavaNet, Best blog on family farming-Institutional category (Euro 1,000).

The winners were announced by Philppe Couve, Jury member, assisted by Ken Lohento, in charge of the ARDYIS project. The results were announced in presence of participants of the conference, during a cocktail, and in the presence of various personalities including the Director of Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Michael Hailu. Apart from the cash prize won, each winner received a trophy, a certificate and various publications. 

Bob Aston receiving Yobloco trophy on behalf of ALIN

The top 12 bloggers and 3 other best participants of the competition were invited to attend the Fin4Ag Conference from 14-18 July 2014, which is proving to be a good learning and networking opportunity for them.

During a side-meeting organised by the Agriculture, Rural Development and Youth in the Information Society (ARDYIS) project on 16 July in Nairobi, the young agri-bloggers shared their experiences about their journey through the competition and also had the opportunity to exchange with Phillipe Couve, one of the jury members, who gave them feedback on their blogs and how they can improve their writing.

Launched in October 2013 at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture, the 2nd Edition of the YoBloCo Awards has been a very exciting journey for participants and the organisers. We would like to thank all the participants who took up the challenge and submitted their blogs. We are equally thankful to our partners and everyone who have been following, supporting and promoting the competition!

The Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo Awards) is organised in the framework of the CTA ARDYIS project, in collaboration with FARA, Yam-Pukri,  CAFAN,  AYF, ANAFE, SPC/PAFPNET and e-Agriculture.

It aims to put into limelight successes and issues faced by youth engaged in agriculture, in urban and rural areas; and to encourage the production of information and the use of new information and communication technologies by young farmers groups and organisations interested in the youth in agriculture question.

CTA and its partners congratulate the winners, as well as all participants who entered the competition!