About Us
Vision and Mission
The youth is the future. Youthure Foundation is motivated to tackle youth unemployment in rural areas by teaching youth skills and supporting them in setting up a business. This way their livelihoods will improve, local economies/markets will be supported and there will be less migration/urbanization. Our projects are sustainable investments that will create a snowball effect. On the long-term, it contributes to an increase in GDP and decrease in poverty and crime, not only on a local scale but also an a regional and even national scale.
Our aim is to develop projects with a high chance of continuation, resulting in long-term positive effects. How?
- Building on and linking already existing resources
- Working with a small, passionate and energetic team
- Focusing on opportunities: an optimistic mindset
- Learning by doing
- Using an integrated approach
- Starting small-scale and create a snowball effect
- Making use of innovative and SMART technologies/tools
Currently, our work focusses on projects in Kenya en Malawi. We are working together with local organisations and NGO’s in both countries who know the culture and are experts on local farming practices. In the future we aim to expand our projects to other countries as well.
TEAM
Loes van der Pluijm
Founder and Managing Director
Loes has a background in integrated water resource management and worked on projects related to water, agrofood and international development together with many different stakeholders in different countries (a.o. Kenya, Mexico, Ethiopia and Malawi). “I got these experiences because I had access to a student loan which gave me the opportunity to follow my passion. Many youth don’t have that opportunity and struggle to survive. I believe youth is the future and I am passionate to work with and for the youth to make their future and the environment more sustainable and contribute to positive change.”
Eva van Dijk
Program Manager
Eva holds a Master’s degree in International land and water management. “Over the years, I have grown a strong passion for sustainable and resilient agricultural practices that safeguard food security and enhance ecosystem services. With the climate changing drastically, I am very concerned about environmental problems and food security. It is the youth of today that will face the worst effects of climate change. Therefore, I want to help the youth and give them access to resources to be able to create a sustainable future for themselves and for the environment.”
Joyce Wambui Njuguna
Program Manager
Joyce holds an MSc in Land and Water Management and is a farmer and professional from Kenya, driven by a deep passion for regenerative agriculture and sustainable water management. Growing up in a farming community, she has witnessed first-hand how climate change affects agricultural productivity. This shaped her commitment to championing practices that build climate resilience, environmental sustainability and food security. She believes that investing in youth, providing training and technical support will grow agriculture into a sector that creates jobs and builds resilient food systems for the future.
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PArtners
