Obama Leader uses agriculture to empower and inspire change in Cameroon

Njeke Joshua Egbe, a 2024–2025 Obama Foundation Africa Leader, is redefining leadership by turning personal adversity into purpose. After losing his father at a young age and growing up amid conflict in Cameroon, he chose hope over violence—founding Peace Crops, an initiative using agriculture to empower communities and inspire change.

“I decided to be self-employed and not just stay there but to get into something like agriculture, which was taking care of me, and also a few orphanages around,” he shared.

“I decided to use my energy to influence other youths not to use their energy to fight or burn down the nation, but to do something positive like agriculture.”

Peace Crops began with simple goals: grow food, support orphanages, and survive. But after the 2017 civil unrest (Opens in a new tab), it became much more. As people fled and elders stayed behind, Peace Crops stepped in—providing fresh vegetables when no other food was available. The organization has since expanded programs to teach sustainable farming to others, regardless of their circumstances.

Today, Peace Crops empowers displaced individuals, unemployed youth, and women through solar-powered initiatives like organic farming, vertical gardening, and food preservation.

“When you empower a woman, you are empowering a whole nation,” Njeke emphasized.

‬His approach addresses systemic issues like youth unemployment, gender inequality, and climate change by providing hands-on training that equips young people and women with the skills and resources to achieve self-sufficiency.

Peace Crops is also deeply committed to climate action. Through chemical-free farming and the planting of over 50,000 fruit trees, the initiative fights deforestation and champions environmental sustainability. In regions where electricity is scarce and refrigeration is a luxury, Njeke has introduced solar-powered food preservation and vertical gardens—enabling families to grow and store food in even the tightest spaces.

“They cannot afford refrigerators, so we started training programs on how they could preserve food using the sun.”

Njeke says participating in the Obama Leaders Africa Program has been transformative for his confidence and in shaping his leadership journey.

“Before the program, I was the kind of person who would shy away from opportunities because I thought I was never good enough,” he recalls.

Njeke says the program was key in shaping his work with The AgriVengers, a capstone group project focused on agriculture and food security. Their vision is clear: a world where no child goes hungry, women lead as changemakers, and ancestral knowledge blends with modern tech to heal the land and build sustainable prosperity.

“My ability to articulate a future where agriculture is not just a means of survival, but a vehicle for prosperity and dignity is a direct reflection of the Leaders Africa journey,” he shared. 

From training displaced youth and empowering marginalized women to confronting climate change, Njeke’s work is a powerful reminder of what one person’s resilience can achieve.

“The little we do matters a lot. We can’t touch everything, but the little we do in our small spaces is truly impactful.”