Letter of Motivation

A Letter of Motivation with which i applied for the ESD for Youths Forum held during the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development at WCCB, Germany in 2009
...............................................................................

I write to notify you of my interest in being considered as one of the participants in the upcoming workshop titled ‘Young ESD Voices from around the World’.

I am Kayode Raphael Adegboye, a Nigerian presently on a Masters study in Agricultural Science and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics at the University of Bonn.

I have over the years studied extensively about sustainable development and i have built qualitative knowledge about its overarching objectives and focus. In my six years of working with private institutions, non-governmental organizations and regulatory agencies both in Nigeria and in Ghana, I have gathered noteworthy experience in different aspects of rural development, agriculture and environmental management. I have also gained valuable insights into the important role agriculture plays in developing economies while working with and providing for smallholder farmers in different aspects of sustainable agricultural practices, environmental sustainability and improvement of livelihood.

Capacity building and information management is one of my special focus. I have worked as a youth trainer for over ten years and have taught agriculture, biology and integrated science in secondary and special schools in Nigeria. I have volunteered for several youth empowerment and development-oriented organizations and my passion is to contribute my quota towards raising a generation of environmentally-conscious, development-oriented youths that will set new agenda for a safe, healthier and cleaner world.

To me, the issues around sustainable development are multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary. They are cultural, social, economic and religious in a way. Narrow-minded and strait-jacketed approaches will not address ensuing challenges. This is why, based on my well-rounded, cosmopolitan and articulate personality, I am applying for this opportunity to gain more insights into how the issues of sustainable development can be better understood in the context of agriculture, rural development and resource management.

With the experience and skills I will acquire from this workshop, I shall continue my primary responsibility as an agricultural resource manager with special focus on capacity building and training of smallholder in sustainable agricultural practices in my country. I shall collaborate with institutions and existing non-governmental organizations to take the message of sustainable development to the grassroots.

I shall particularly focus on transferring the skills to youths within my circle of my influence and organizational network. I presently volunteer for the African Youth Foundation, a non-governmental organization based in Bonn whose focus is educating the youths to enhance their participation and engagement in socio-economic issues. Part of my plan is to utilize the skills i acquire from this workshop towards educating the youths of this organization across the world.

Finally, it will be my pleasure to sit with twenty-four other participants to brainstorm and deploy solutions to the challenges of our world.

I hope to receive a favourable reply from you.

Kayode Raphael Adegboye