Age
16
Country of Residence
South Africa
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
The spark for Agricultural Legacy came when I was in Grade 8. I noticed that learners in more advantaged schools were getting opportunities to participate in competitions, access youth platforms and develop practical skills, while many learners in my own community were not exposed to the same possibilities. I started asking myself why where we come from should determine what we get to experience. I spoke to teachers at my school about the opportunities I wanted to see, but I was told that our environment made some of these things difficult. Instead of seeing that as a reason to stop, I began thinking about what we could create with what we already had. Agriculture stood out to me. I realised that a school garden could be more than growing vegetables: it could give learners practical skills, create something they could take ownership of, and potentially provide food for their families and community. That was my “aha” moment—I didn't need to wait for someone else to create an opportunity for us. I began approaching school leadership and coordinators, following up on the idea and trying to get learners involved. What started as a Grade 8 idea became a project that eventually attracted more than 60 interested learners and gained support from partners. Agricultural Legacy showed me that change can begin with simply asking, “Why can't we?”
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I encourage others to get involved by making Agricultural Legacy something learners can actively participate in rather than simply something they hear about. I share the purpose of the project with other learners and encourage them to see agriculture as an opportunity to gain practical skills, work with others and contribute to our school and community. So far, more than 60 learners have shown interest in participating. Learners have become involved in practical activities such as preparing planting areas, planting seeds, caring for crops and harvesting produce. Seeing the garden develop and being able to take some of the produce home has also helped make the project's purpose visible to other learners. I also believe that activating others means creating ownership. Rather than expecting one person to do everything, I encourage learners to contribute through different tasks and take responsibility for parts of the project. This helps turn participation into leadership and makes people feel that the project belongs to them too. Going forward, I want to reach even more learners by making participation more organised and visible within the school. I plan to introduce clearer roles, encourage learners who are already involved to bring others into the project, and use the garden's progress and harvests to demonstrate what we can achieve together.
How many people are on your team?
65
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Agricultural Legacy has grown from an idea I had in Grade 8 into an ongoing project that has engaged more than 60 learners who showed interest in participating. For a school that previously had no agriculture programme, creating this space has given learners an opportunity to participate in something practical, collaborative and community-focused. Through the project, learners have been involved in activities such as preparing planting areas, planting seeds, caring for crops and harvesting. We have successfully grown produce including potatoes and spinach, and some of the harvest has been taken home by learners. This has made the project tangible: learners are not only learning about agriculture, but seeing the results of their work and being able to take part in producing food. The project has also created impact by bringing different groups together. I spent years following up with school leadership and coordinators to get the initiative moving, and when our initial private-sector support ended, I continued looking for a way forward. The University of Johannesburg subsequently supported the project with resources including spades and seeds, allowing us to continue. Beyond the numbers, Agricultural Legacy has helped create a culture where learners can see themselves as contributors and problem-solvers.
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Agricultural Legacy empowers learners to turn unused spaces into school gardens, building practical skills, growing food, and creating opportunities for their school and community.
Project title
Agricultural Legacy project
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
In my school and surrounding community, many young people grow up with limited access to opportunities that allow them to discover their potential, develop practical skills and participate in meaningful projects. At my school, there was no agriculture programme, meaning learners had little opportunity to learn about growing food, environmental responsibility or the practical skills that agriculture can provide. This matters to me because I have seen how differently young people can experience school depending on the opportunities available to them. I believe talent is everywhere, but opportunities are not always distributed equally. When learners are not given spaces to explore their interests or contribute to their communities, they can miss experiences that build confidence, skills and a sense of possibility. Agricultural Legacy is my response to that gap. By creating a space where learners can participate in agriculture, work together and see the results of their efforts, we are turning an unused opportunity into something practical and meaningful. The project matters to me because I want learners in my community to experience opportunities that make them realise that their circumstances do not have to define what they can achieve.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, I want to strengthen Agricultural Legacy so that it becomes a more sustainable and accessible opportunity for learners at my school. First, I want to increase and organise learner participation by creating clearer responsibilities around planting, watering, maintenance and harvesting. I also want to encourage more learners to join so that the project can reach beyond the first group of participants and continue developing young leaders. Second, I want to expand what we grow and improve the sustainability of the garden. This includes exploring better ways to manage water, protect crops and use available space effectively. Where possible, we will continue producing vegetables that learners can take home and benefit from. Partnerships will also be an important next step. I want to strengthen our relationship with the University of Johannesburg and identify additional organisations, businesses and community members who can contribute resources, agricultural knowledge, mentorship or training. I also want to explore opportunities for learners to gain exposure to careers and further opportunities connected to agriculture, environmental sustainability and entrepreneurship. Finally, I want to document the project's progress more consistently by keeping records of participation, crops planted, harvests and activities.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
Agricultural Legacy is innovative in the way it uses agriculture not simply as a way to grow food, but as a platform for creating opportunities for young people in a school where an agriculture programme did not previously exist. School gardens and agricultural programmes already exist in many places, but Agricultural Legacy responds to a different challenge: the opportunity gap that can prevent learners in disadvantaged communities from accessing practical experiences, leadership opportunities and spaces where they can build confidence. Instead of waiting for a fully funded programme or specialised facility, we started with what was available and built the project gradually through learner participation, school support and partnerships. Another important part of our approach is that the project is learner-driven. Learners are not simply recipients of a programme delivered to them by an outside organisation. They participate in the process of preparing the space, planting, caring for crops and harvesting. This creates ownership and turns agriculture into a practical way of learning teamwork, responsibility, problem-solving and community engagement. The project has also shown an innovative approach to overcoming limited resources. When our initial private-sector support disappeared, I continued pursuing the project rather than allowing the lack of resources to end it. This eventually led to support from the University of Johannesburg, including spades and seeds. The experience demonstrated that young people can connect existing community resources and partnerships to create opportunities that were previously unavailable. Agricultural Legacy therefore does not try to invent agriculture—it reinvents what a school garden can represent.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
Agricultural Legacy addresses the opportunity gap by creating a learner-led agriculture programme where young people can gain practical skills, work together and contribute to their school and community through growing food. The project began with me identifying agriculture as an opportunity that was missing from my school. I approached school leadership and coordinators and continued following up on the idea over time until we were able to move from a proposal to action. We then created opportunities for interested learners to participate in gardening and learn through practical experience rather than only through theory. Learners help with activities such as preparing planting areas, planting seeds, caring for crops and harvesting produce. We have grown crops including potatoes and spinach, with some of the produce being taken home by learners. This gives participants a direct connection between their effort, the skills they develop and a tangible outcome that can benefit their households. The project also demonstrates the importance of young people building partnerships to solve problems. When an initial private-sector supporter was no longer able to continue, I did not want the project to end. The University of Johannesburg later supported us by providing resources including spades and seeds, helping us continue putting the idea into practice. Agricultural Legacy is therefore more than a garden. It is a platform where learners can develop practical and collaborative skills, take responsibility for something they helped create, and see themselves as people capable of solving problems in their own communities. The project is still continuing, and I want to build on what we have started so that more learners can participate and the impact can grow.
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
I lead Agricultural Legacy, working alongside interested learners who participate in planting, caring for crops and harvesting. More than 60 learners have shown interest in the project. We share responsibility by involving learners in practical activities and giving them opportunities to contribute ideas and take ownership of tasks. School coordinators (5 teachers) provide guidance, while external partners(Sponsor)have helped us access resources. My role is to coordinate, mobilise participation.
