Just a few years ago, Timothy Joseph and Charles Sima were barely scraping by in Tumaini village, Katavi. Timothy’s farming efforts yielded little, and Charles survived by pushing water carts through town — a grueling job that paid just enough for a meal.
“Every day was a struggle,” Timothy recalls. “No tools, no training — just hope.” That changed when the two young men engaged with the YEFFA program. Having had brief involvement with previous AGRA initiatives like ADP Mbozi, their deeper participation in YEFFA unlocked practical training in climate-smart farming, business development, and value chain integration.
Armed with knowledge and purpose, they became Village-Based Advisors (VBAs) — mentoring over 300 young farmers across the region through hands-on demonstration plots for maize and rice.
They’ve become respected agricultural leaders, catalyzing change from the ground up. Their biggest challenge? Changing mindsets. “Convincing older farmers and men in the community to try modern methods hasn’t been easy,” says Charles. “But we’re seeing real shifts — not just in yield, but in attitude.”
They are also active champions of gender inclusion, aligning with YEFFA’s goal to reach 80% young women. In a region where early marriage for girls was once the norm, they now mentor young women farmers, advocate for equal participation, and are helping build a new narrative of what’s possible.
Today, Timothy and Charles are building homes on plots of land they’ve purchased with earnings from input sales, training commissions, and their own farming. Their success is not just personal — it’s redefining agriculture as a viable, respected, and dignified path for young people in rural Tanzania. “YEFFA didn’t just change our lives,” says Timothy. “It gave us the power to change others’ too.”