Sowing Seeds: Growing Climate Leaders in Barbados

The Sojourner Foundation has had the privilege of engaging with over 400 youths of different ages across Barbados. From connecting with these youths, we’ve learned that they feel a sense of hopelessness about their future in Barbados; are often unemployed or underemployed; do not feel a strong connection to community, culture, or the land; and are struggling daily with their mental and emotional well-being.

While these social ills are prevalent among youths who are expected to become the next generation of leaders, we are also aware of the environmental ills that continue to increase due to climate change. Our youth will inherit these environmental challenges, despite not receiving the guidance and capacity-building support they need to appropriately respond to them.

The Sojourner Foundation is working towards solutions that will train youths in climate adaptation practices; strengthen their social, emotional, and mental development skills; and provide purpose-driven and environmentally-conscious pathways to support their livelihoods.

This project, called “Sowing Seeds,” will help to ensure that the next generations are equipped with the awareness, practical skills, and the mental, emotional, and social capacity to support economic progress, environmental sustainability, and ongoing climate-resilient solutions on the island and across the Caribbean region.

The three components of this project include:

The cultivation of climate-smart crops at Igbo Mimo, supporting food security and reconnecting the youths to culture, community, and the land
Awareness Building and Community Engagement
To train 15 youth in entrepreneurship and product development.

The key expected results from the Sowing Seeds initiative will be the youths gaining practical and transferable experience in climate resilient methodologies; the sharing of knowledge and implementation of climate-smart agriculture; the development of a processing hub that will continue to provide employment opportunities and training for youths; the social, emotional, and mental awareness training that youths will need to collaborate and co-create thriving ecosystems; and finally, offering these as models that educators and social change agents can integrate across Barbados and the Global South region.