Stories from the Field: Pastoralist Stories Across Generations

 In this episode of Stories from the Field, we explore the journey of the School of Young Pastoralists through the voices of three people who have experienced the programme from different perspectives: a current participant, an alumnus and a mentor. Together, they share personal stories, lessons learned and reflections on leadership, community and the future of pastoralism. From discovering new opportunities and building skills to supporting the next generation of young leaders, this conversation highlights the impact of youth-led learning and exchange in pastoralist communities around the world.

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:05

So hello and welcome to the World Food Forum podcast. My name is Alexandra and I will be your host and welcome to our episode of Voices of Young Catalysts. It's a podcast episode that we will actually shine the light on stories, knowledge, and leadership of young people from range land and livestock keeping communities across the globe. So this series is actually produced as a part of the School of Young Castleists initiative of International Land Coalition and Partners. And the school brings together young leaders from different regions to learn from one another, to exchange experiences voted in their territories and build lasting connections across culturals and generations. So throughout this episode, we will hear personal stories from participants and alumnize as they reflect their journeys and challenges as well as opportunities they face and their hopes for the future of the communities. So this is our first episode. We are getting to know the school throughout the voices of those who have experienced it firsthand, and we will explore what actually inspired them to join, the lessons they've taken away. And the program is helping shape their paths as leaders, advocates, and change makers. So let's actually begin by meeting our guests. One more time. Thank you all for joining us today. And I would like to ask you if you can shortly introduce yourself, tell us a bit more about you and about your connection to this way of life.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

Thank you. Thank you for uh this opportunity. It's been a while since I became part of this. So hello everyone. Nice to meet you, even virtually. Uh Melissa Alama Bolitres, but you can call me now, Mel. I've been with Pakisama. I'm the I'm the operations manager now of Pakisama. Pakisama is Kamban San Khilisan. We are a national confederation, a family farming, a family farmer organization in the Philippines. So we work with farmers, fisher folks, indigenous people, rural women, and so I've been with Pakisama for the past eight years. Imagine that. I become one of the fellows of ILC in 2019 to 2020. So Anish is one of our mentors. That's why I'm still here and still connected with Carla. So it's really a great opportunity to be here. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 2:31

Thank you so much. Anish, maybe off to you.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Thank you, ILC team, especially Carla and everybody for raising this. And uh nice to see many friends, old friends like uh Melissa. So my name is Anish, and uh, I'm working with an organization called Ekta Parishat. It's a people's movement fighting for the land rights. So I am associated, I came as a very young uh volunteer in this organization uh around 26-27 years back, and now I am the one of the general secretaries of the organization. So yeah, we are mainly focusing on land rights to the landless people, mainly the marginalized people, and also we are promoting in a big way the peace and non-violence promotion, promotion of peace and non-violence, how we can strengthen all movement in non-violent ways. That is our big agenda. Same time, uh, we have uh different sectors in this organization, youth, cultural department, economical activities. So now we are more focusing on those people who bought the land, how we can strengthen their life better through that support. How we can strengthen our land rights movement for the real land rights.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Uh thank you very much. Uh, my name is Kamchi Asha. I am a social and uh policy for the women's land and resources platform. The platform, the women's land and resources platform, we work with uh gender champions within communities, um, in which we advocate for women's land rights and also the rights of natural resources. We also work um in community, um villages, and also in state lands, which is very urban areas as well, just to push for the advocacy um and the ownership of land rights for women. Perfect.

SPEAKER_05 4:27

Thank you so much. Uh as we as we can see, every journey has a starting point uh from any participant, and the school opened the doors uh to new opportunities and um connections. So taking going back uh to the journey, could you take us back at the moment where you actually first heard about the school of young pastorists? And what caught your attention and what made you think, yes, I want to be part of this?

SPEAKER_00 4:54

Actually, I always spend my more time to strengthening youth process within the organization and the other organization also. So when uh when I talk starting initiating a school for young uh you know, mobilizing young people, interacting with more of them about the issues, it's always giving more hope on to me. So I was very happy when we you ILC started this kind of platform uh because the education process is totally disconnecting these kinds of things. The real education process, there is no this kind of local issue, basic information, they are totally on other worlds. So this kind of school, the personal school, can bring those the real traditional things to the new generation. So that was really interesting, and I'm very happy when I heard about it. And I hope it will also give more leadership to fight for their own rights.

SPEAKER_05 5:52

Melissa, can you uh can you also maybe tell us a bit more and what actually caught your attention to to support young leaders?

SPEAKER_03 6:00

Actually, uh uh for the past eight years I've been with Bakisama and in charge of our young farmers program. We really institutionalize our young farmers program because I've seen our leaders grow old, grow old in the struggle. Um it's really a long, it's really a long journey because when you are in land rights, a lot of uh a lot of struggles, it will take you, it will take you years to gain that uh victories. There are many what you call this setbacks, disappointments, and bigger challenges that we need to face. But looking at this, uh our leaders in Pakistama, they grew old, they grew tired. Uh, our long-term strategy is that our main advocacy in Pakistan is that to build the next generation of leaders. While these uh older leaders are still are still here, they can pass the wisdom, the experiences, and at the same time, on the part of youth, they can also contribute their skills, their strategies, especially in the digital age. So we can match uh their talents, their wisdom together. So in Pakistama, we really institutionalize the building of our sectoral youth formation. We have our pamanaka, what we call here in Pakistama. So we have also provided them the opportunity to sit in the governance, to hear their voice, so that their ideas, agendas are being recognized. And also there's a lot of capacity capacity building programs like this fellowship that they want uh they want our world to be part of. So it's really a great opportunity that they can learn from our leaders from Pakisama, they can learn from other struggles of other nations, uh from other countries, and also they can learn a lot of uh strategies and innovation as they go along in this journey. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 8:11

Thank you, thank you so much. And uh Kamija, for your for your own experience as uh you are currently uh Pastoralist Fellow 2026, what actually caught your your attention? What made you get a decision to join the school of young bachelorism?

SPEAKER_02 8:32

Um thank you very much, uh Alexandra, for that question. So um what actually really caught my attention to join the school was um when I was attending one of the gender meetings that we had here in Zambia, and we had brought in a lot of women from the communities to be part of this meeting. And we were talking about the role that women play in the communities, and one of them that they had mentioned was uh farming and also rearing of animals. But they had mentioned that because of the kind of social systems that we have in Zambia, in which women are not included when it comes to issues of pastoralism just because of the social setup and the cultural setup we have, they are only limited to um uh rearing of small animals such as chickens, maybe, and pigs, but they can't uh rear the much uh bigger livestock such as cows and goats. Those are kept for the men, and those are the men who are to head that. So when I saw the opportunity, when the opportunity actually presented itself to me, I said this would be a good one for me, because I'm coming from the gender perspective as well. I'm coming to uh see how we can include more women in these spaces, how women can be encouraged to be part of these spaces, how women can also be pushed to be part of these spaces, especially coming from a community like mine, which is highly patriarchal in how they run the systems. So that really encouraged me because then it says that I'm going to interact with various um communities, I'm going to interact with international people and organizations just to understand how they have been able to implement their systems, which include women. So for me, that's really what encouraged me to be part of this, especially as a young person. Um I feel it's very, very important for me to learn this now, and I can also push for future generations to be part of such communities, yes.

SPEAKER_05 10:32

And talking about uh talking about your your own uh experience, and uh, as we know, we all have a different uh, let's say you have different positions within this great initiative um leading towards encouraging uh young people in transforming agri-food systems. So maybe could you actually describe us your journey and your role within your community and uh what has been the moment during the program that actually uh changed how you see yourself or uh yourself as a potential leader?

SPEAKER_02 11:04

Um I thank you very much. I think one thing that um I can say my role in the community has been mostly when it comes to uh policy advocacy and policy changes. I um I have worked in the field of social development for about five years now. It's actually once I finished university, it was the first opportunity that I got to work in social development. And I have been here for about five years. And in these five years, I've actually come to learn um the challenges that people face in the communities and how, especially the women, because like I mentioned earlier, Zambia is highly a patriarchal system, and we have two tenure land systems, which is state land and um traditional land. And traditional land takes up 80% of our country's land. So you can imagine we have the traditional land which takes up 80%, and then in that 80%, we have different customs and traditions which govern that land. And all those customs and traditions, most of them are patriarchal. So many women are excluded already. They are automatically excluded from being um involved in land issues. So that's where then I came in as a young person myself to advocate for this. I'm as a lawyer by profession, I also saw the importance of policy changes. If you're able to change the policy, you're also able to advocate for the women themselves. So for me, that's where I also like to come in when it comes to policy advocacy, when it comes to restructuring the laws in a way that it benefits and it protects the women. And um, I also see that as a young person, it's something that you have to look at too, because you're not just looking at today, you're also looking at the future. What is it that you want to see in the next five years? What is it you want to see in the next 10 years? So for me, I also see it as a way that you're also moving with how the current climatic conditions are in the country, and then you're also putting it to future generations because it won't just end with me. There are also others who come and who also want to benefit. So, how do you then ensure that things are set up for them in a way that it also encourages them to move forward?

SPEAKER_05 13:19

Thank you so much. Really inspiring to uh to see the perspective uh for the future. And uh, as we as we all know, and I have to agree with you, the the young leaders are not just uh uh transforming the future, but also the presence like uh like you are with your uh dedication uh to serve uh for the for the other generations uh to come. But uh Anish, as someone uh who has uh accompanied and mentored uh young leaders uh through this initiative, what has been like to witness their growth and leadership journeys in this particular moment that actually maybe stand out to you or something that you would like uh to tell us more about?

SPEAKER_00 14:00

See, as a part of uh new leadership generation process within the organization, the thing is that uh interesting part is that always the new era people are blaming young people, they are not concerned about this kind of issue, they are not concerned about the society that part. The the one thing I always realized that without spending time with the young people, you can't blame them. You should spend proper time with the with the young people, that is very important, and also the thing is that different organizations have their own uh way to mobilize young people, uh, which is very limiting the space somehow. So we should give a space to young people to interact with different issues when you have a limitation within the organization, their growth will be less. Many people, many young people are not really interested in land issue, but they are more interested in the climate, they are more interested in the environment. So there is different ways according to the young youth interest, we should mobilize them. The problem what is happening is that everybody, all organization will make their system how they can make young people according the organizational way, which is making space gap with youth and the issue and organization. So, according to you should uh teach them in a very nice way. They have their own way to learning. You should be with them, take their idea, promote that, and slowly you can say what these issues also creating problems on that kind of new generation. So the teaching process should be changed, then you have more people with you. And when you're talking about the pastrology land issue, it is not an individual issue. When you are fighting for the land, it's a family issue. So you should involve all family in that process, the struggle. Then there will be a young people, there will be children, there will be a old people in the entire process. The other part is that many organizations will take the responsibility of fighting for others, the victims' issue. But people like us, we are who are the victims, they should lead the process. We are only in the supporting process as an organization, otherwise, you will be ever all responsibility in your hand. You are fighting for somebody else else's issue. That is also creating some disconnection. So, who is really victim, who is really struggling for the land, we should help them to fight their own rights. We don't never take the responsibility, we will fight for your land, which is very quite wrong. So, how we can decentralize the responsibility within the community, how we can spread the ownership within the community, organizations should take very less ownership, and community and victims who are really suffering for the issue on the issue, they should get more and more involved, they should take more and more responsibility, they should take the ownership of the right uh the struggle. And we our role is helping them, whatever help they need. Then the community will totally involve in this in this uh uh struggle, and it will also give you the long life when the community and family is fully backing up the leading the struggle, or there is all age people, so it will be a long process to sustain your organization, sustain the struggle, achieve something. So that kind of learnings we I learned from this long journey, and uh other part is that when you will talk, one side is struggle for this all these issues, second part is the dialogue and communication with the state. So I am a good activist, I know the issue, but I am a wrong to communicate with the state, the bureaucracy. So you can also identify some good bureaucracy people who can be supportive role for this movement, so the communication will be very easy. At the same time, it will all process will be a collective process. There should be a some pro media people with you, journalists. There should be a some legal background, people will be with you. As a team, otherwise, what is happening? Many struggles are really failing because the activists and leaders want don't want to involve others. No, they want to do the dialogue, they want to face the media, they want to go to the court. Every process they want to do, which is which is creating very, very now, uh very very many problems within the study. So you can involve others because our focus is getting rights to the community. That should be on the top. Our focus is not making our name across the world, our organization. That is not our agenda. So when you really want to focus on the issue and community, you should involve many other parts, other sectors for the dialogue process. We also give space for the culture team. Which community, which extra person is working, they are don't they are not really literated, they don't know how to read. So they will more uh hearing the cultural way. You can make a drama, you can make a theater, that kind of process. The traditional things you should use for strengthening the moment. These are some ways which I learned across my journey.

SPEAKER_05 19:34

Thank you, thank you so much. Uh you're definitely right. I think it's a it's a powerful uh sentence that you said that we need to really understand that uh change isn't a responsibility only of uh young people, right? But it's also a responsibility of uh different generations, and we in order to create a change, we all need to come together, learn one from another, and uh together work towards something shared, uh shared solutions. So, Melissa, as you're a member of the 2019 to 20th cohort, and uh you had several years to reflect uh on the experience and looking back, um how it has been for your own journey shaped as a as a leader and what uh lessons actually continue to influence uh your work even today.

SPEAKER_03 20:26

Um actually look uh hearing what Anish uh shared a while ago uh brought me to my journey, uh my fellowship journey with ILC 2019, 2020. Actually, being part uh of that fellowship is uh still a uh became a fight also for me because I wanted to prove to my seniors to the senior management of Fakisama that I can do it. I can do it, I can I can share the story of our farmers, the struggles, I can represent the Philippines in this uh fellowship program. So that that overcoming the doubt and uncertainties of being part of that fellowship is it's already a small win for me because uh of all the people I have granted, I had the privilege to be part of the fellowship uh journey. So, what changed in me? Um I stayed in Pakistanama. I have a lot of interactions actually, a lot of uh self-reflecting moments, uh seeing my other younger colleagues in Pakistanama actually. Um when I came in Pakistanama in 2018, um I think we are about uh eight, almost eight, uh young staff in Pakistanama. And right now I am the one I am the least woman standing, so I think. uh that uh that being part of that uh fellowship is really a much needed uh what do you call this motivation strength uh to be to continue in this in this struggle in the struggle for land rights in the struggle for family farmers for their tenure security for the support services for the recognition that they badly needed from the government you know if you hear news about the Philippines we are an agricultural country but the ones feeding us are always the are always the being left behind the farmers with higher poverty incidents and were being neglected intimidated by a lot of uh corporate greed and uh government neglect and from that journey uh being part of that also from for that fellowship I went to India that's the first time uh I learned the culture the collective struggle I cannot forget how the journey of extraparition in in in for the passage of the Forest Act how they organize a movement how can they integrate culture in the movement how everyone can take a very important part of that movement of that action i i have seen that and really it it it inspires me we can also do that here in the Philippines that not only the older ones are being in the command and all the restructuring how we do the mobilization the campaigns but seeing in that fellowship how everyone's played an important role uh how can how the young people can be part of the uh can be part of that huge campaign mobilization how the ideas like creativity can bring how can they also be part of a dialogue with a lot of stakeholders so there are a lot of learnings and unlearnings also that fellowship journey is also a part uh uh wake up call for me a time for me to unlearn maybe because the ideas there are ideas uh that maybe shifted that maybe uh it's no longer applicable today and that your voice your idea you need to push for that you need to fight for that even even though you're you're still young so I'm really grateful Carla thank you that that that really gave me a push to be here to stay here I've been with a for the past eight years and it really gave me a sense of uh like a commitment a responsibility that not all young people not all young professionals go pursue or pursue development work there will try there will be a moment that you will really uh feel the advocacy fatigue the disappointment the disappointment because it's really a long journey being with the community being with the struggle of the community is a long long journey but if you are with them you work for them and be with them I think uh it will make take a decade or more than a decade but the victory is there the small gains are there celebrate the small wins and the fight uh the fight is not yet over so just be just continue what what we are doing I think I I I applied that to myself that I need to learn again and to continue again in this in this struggle thank you thank you thank you melissa I think uh what really stands out in your story and uh what is important I think for me to to highlight is that leadership isn't just about uh stepping forward once or choosing it once but actually choosing to stay engaged over and over even when uh the work is getting challenging and uh your journey actually shows um how experiences like this can really build the confidence and and resilience and movement to keep uh fighting for the communities that uh we care about so talking about uh challenges and resilience um I want to ask you all what is one challenge that uh you face uh that people outside from your community maybe might not immediately understand and uh how are you navigating it or how this actually affects young people uh in your area it's a good question because uh everybody's struggling now no generating new leadership and again as I told uh earlier uh our you know ideal Gandhi Gandhi was always saying that um education for life which is missing nowadays now everybody is going to school or doing education to get a certificate and get a job and no other part they don't know really the education and we will also say there is also difference in between literacy and education the literated people are saying we are educated education is really come from the traditional things which is really missing nowadays.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

So normally our founder also Rajpopal you always say that uh uh technically we develop in a big way everything is on our hands we have a no smartphone you know what is happening in across the globe but we don't you don't we don't know what is happening with our neighbor or within our village so again Gandhi was always saying that uh whenever you will focus on education it should it should be a near-based education because new education process is always far based we know what is Trump's statement yesterday but we don't know our neighbor's name so how we can connect near-based education for life that is really missing in this new generation we can't blame them because the technology is never supporting there is there is another racket to turn all the brain in what whatever they want it's corporate whatever it is so we are really working on it but we are somehow successful also so challenges is that how we can create more and more space how we can give more appreciation to the young people to come and join us in the way they want never the way which we want so it maybe take time but I can say from my last 10 years experience amazing young people are here with my our office and around and uh they are not full-time social workers but they are working in government service or police or wherever but they have always space for this kind of issue which we are working and they are supporting from there. So this is one thing second thing is that the entire system is it is like a world war whole system is promoting the consumerism corporate farming these kind of things and we have people like us very small group is really fighting for the nature lively livelihoods land and everything so our community is also shrinking because this kind of government which is in India which is in everywhere they they are always with this uh corporate sector and uh big people even in the least uh uh we can't see the proper you know educates for fighting this kind of race for this rights so entire system is opposite and we we have a small group really fighting to get our uh rights so we need more and more young people on this so we should create very local based system to mobilize young people many organization donors are coming with you know Europe is saying that what will happen in India which is which will never work so we should be a practical so and for us always we have a three area struggle dialogue then constructive work long struggle after the long struggle and dialogue you are getting the piece of land then how you can develop that land that is very important so now every every every six months things are changing in a fast way so we have we have we can't use the like Melissa told all tool is not usable now so we need a new kind of tool which we can interact and attract more young people that will be very localized we can share ideas some Indian ideas can be applicable for Philippines but not all ideas so we can see that kind of learning process we should uh create a platform like Melissa many people are there the challenge is again and again that we should focus we can't focus more on our agenda our agenda is there it will be always back down whenever you will interact with young people with your own agenda they will not comfort with you understand their idea their interest accordingly you can apply your issue and your agenda many organizations have package no they will go with that to the college and university old people and I'm also saying always saying that every five years the leaders the the communication way the technical things are changing I can't say I am 40 years experienced in extra I will teach always the young people which is wrong. So we need young people to mobilize young people we need young new communication system to understand new generation so that kind of very local and systematically time wise tool we should create to young um create to organize and mobilize young people that is something very important otherwise I can't say no I'm very senior activists who are you to teach me that is the many that is a big problem with the young people that the generation is changed. So we should learn from the new generation how we can apply uh the our agenda to the new generation so that is very important with with respect no no we are we are we are not saying we have no respect to the old people we always respect the old people but the new generation needs new way of that no system and mobilizing communication process so we should learn from new generation also which I'm doing last 10 years. I'm really enjoying it that's very important.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

Thank you thank you so much and what you said here is that challenge it is isn't just lack of of interest from young people side but it's more of uh uh creating this trust and space for them to participate meaningfully without giving uh a strict rules uh on how they should perceive uh the transformation itself um melissa what about your experience what challenges do you see in your communities uh actually uh here in the Philippines uh the average age of uh farmers is 67 years old and a lot of young people a lot of young farmers are no longer interested in farming imagine that uh because there's no space for them there's no concrete programs specific policies that will really make the agriculture the farming viable for the youth and also uh space that they can lead they can show their talents and skills their their their their uh representation is limited that is why that's one of the challenges that also that's one of the recurring challenges that we are facing here in the Philippines uh our food security is at risk so so the challenge is that how can we make uh the agriculture the farming viable and uh attractive to the to the younger generation that's that's that is one of our uh core programs also in pakisama we build the next generation of our leaders uh through series through series of uh a lot of capacity development programs uh leadership trainings uh what we call this mentoring uh mentoring with uh older people with experienced people is very very important the transferring of wisdom the experiences and also on the side of the younger ones that what are the new ideas that they can offer to really uh resolve what are the recurring challenges in the uh community so that is one also uh personally um what is the biggest challenge i think it's the on the side of the young people it's the advocacy fatigue when you are young you have a lot of energy uh you want to invest your time your effort and sometimes uh you think that justice is like an overnight process not so you you will really face uh what you call this an advocacy fatigue that you need to overcome and that you will realize that it's really a long process a decade long process uh like for example uh a farm a family farming community fighting for the titles of the land against corporate greed it will take them two years five years ten years so imagine the process that they have been through uh to gain that victory they just want uh you know our farmers our family farming communities in the Philippines just want a simple life they want the land to cultivate the land that they can pass on to their children but the process the long struggle that we need to face on against those who are in power it's really make them what we call this the uh the the what you call this the struggle is already challenging for them so uh I uh what you call this uh in in all of this you will really face a lot of disappointment uh a lot of this disappointment a lot of out outrage uh what they call this uh hatred hatred or though or hatred to those in power because in just one click in their hands they can already change the system but they're not doing it so that's the recurring challenge uh for the young people like me for our rural youth here in the Philippines for the indigenous here in the Philippines how can you fight the advocacy fatigue how can how can you continue to fight uh with all these happenings with all the negativity with all the uh what they call this the institutional neglect and abuse of those who are in power I think you're right that the focus should be actually to uh to put the future of agriculture as a means of opportunity uh for uh for young people and showing them that actually uh farming can be innovative and modern and uh a visible path uh for the next generations and uh Camille from your own experience what are some of the challenges as the as a young women uh farmer is there any challenge that you would like to to highlight that it's quite visible in your communities but maybe uh not so relatable for everyone um yes um I think one of the key things I would like to highlight when it comes to my community has been the issue of um tradition I can say and customs because we are coming into a place that has already that already has systems in place they already run a certain way they already carry out um the way their way of living a certain way so then you come in and we are advocating for these changes it's it's been quite a challenge um especially like I shared earlier on um that is a patriarchal state so we are most it's mostly run under a patriarchal system especially in our culture and traditions and then um we're also looking at the land tenure system where most of the land is cultural land so we can have these laws and policies in place but those doors and policies mostly apply under state land so then when it comes into the cultural land, traditional land how then do these policies um these legislators or these how do they come to play in these communities?

SPEAKER_02 39:01

So it's been a challenge that's one of the challenges that we face um especially as a youth because you're going in as a young woman and you're going into an already established system and then you're meeting these elderly people who you also have to respect them their decisions in a different way because they are elderly to you. So you're also showing that level of respect and then when you come in with these new ideas it comes to look like you are kind of not respecting the culture which is already there, which has already been placed. So that has really been a struggle um especially when it comes to um interacting even amongst the women themselves we still face those challenges to convince the women that this is for them and this is for their benefit. But it also becomes a challenge just because of the systems which are in place. I think I'll also like to share with Melissa's point ago with Melissa's point it's also been advocating fatigue as well which is a challenge for many young people because you are constantly advocating for these changes. You are advocating for the involvement of women when it comes to agriculture, when it comes to pastoralism, when it comes to farming just any other future you're constantly pushing for these women especially for me who works in the land sector I have to push for the inclusion of women. But the advocacy gets um exhausting in a point that you are speaking but you feel like you're not being heard. You'll be in these places where you get to speak with government officials, where you get to speak with different stakeholders. But as soon as you leave those meetings, the realities remain the same. They don't change. So advocacy fatigue is also one of the challenges that we really face um especially as a young person here in Zambia, it's something we constantly push we have to understand that in as much as you are fatigued, it's not just for me, it's a responsibility that I'm doing for Zambia as a whole and also just for the women and the youth of Zambia. So it's something you have to constantly speak on, you have to constantly push on. But with the different cultures that we have which also come into the social norms, they also influence the social norms and with the social norms comes to the real realities of things because we do speak about how under our traditional land we do have customs. But those customs also come into the urban sector. So you get to find that inasmuch as there these customs in the traditional land when it comes to policy making when it comes to creating of platforms for these people you'll find that even the men are the ones who need those platforms then the youth and the women then begin to share away because they feel like they do not belong. So all these have a place and they are all relatable and has been a challenge really as a young person. But it's been something that I feel it's it's um it's it's also part of my growth. It really helped me grow and also build my confidence in how I can address these issues.

SPEAKER_05 42:12

Thank you thank you so much uh Cami really highlighting the the balance between uh respecting existing systems while advocating for uh for new opportunities is such an important part of uh of leadership and thank you for sharing that and as we are coming uh to an end of our episode I wanted to ask you if there is one message just one sentence that you would like to share uh with young leaders who are listening to us today and uh willing to transform agri food systems is there anything that you would like to tell them yes um for me I would say as a young leader please come into the space with curiosity with openness and with lots of confidence as well because there are many opportunities where you feel like because you are young maybe you do not qualify or because you are young you cannot speak on certain issues but that's not the truth we have to push we have to advocate because as a young person this is also a space for us. Melissa you any message my message is that are you ready if you're ready so be prepared also to really prepare yourself a lot of roller coaster emotions and also enjoy the journey enjoy the process without losing yourself protect your peace protect your voice and also protect your physical and mental health because that's that also matters as the house you are fighting for thank you thank you so much Anish what about you short uh short message for for young leaders yeah I just want to say because uh entire the world is living in a competitive life how we can change competitive life to corporate life that is very important we don't live as a competitor in the society second thing is that the entire world is struggling because of the consumerism so it is changing your way of life too so how we can change all young people from consumer life to very simple life otherwise you will use yourself that's only message for the young people thank you thank you all quite powerful uh messages for young people that I'm sure will uh make them reflect and think of their next moves uh one more time thank you so much for for joining us today it was uh super inspiring uh uh to to talk to you to hear from your story and to share your your thoughts and uh motivations with with other uh young people and let's say bring bring them hope thank you one more time