Photo courtesy of Uxue Urteaga Ruiz de Viñaspre
When we speak about land health, we often speak in global terms: food systems, ecosystems, climate resilience. But behind these words are local communities, grassroots organizations, and dedicated individuals working every day for the good of others.
Ensuring these voices inform and shape international negotiations over Land Degradation Neutrality requires a commitment to partnership as well as a creative approach to connect those working and living in remote areas and with diverse perspectives.
This is why the Global Environment Facility is supporting a novel mentorship program that brings together people working to restore their lands with people directly involved in land restoration policy-making and advocacy. The three-year initiative, part of the GEF-funded Civil Society for Land Degradation Neutrality project implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is opening doors for meaningful engagement related to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
The mentorship program, run in partnership with the civil society organizations DryNet and Both ENDS, provides a space to gain practical understanding of UNCCD processes and build the confidence to engage in international policy discussions, in service of their local communities.
The first cohort brought together 12 participants from Argentina, Chile, Gambia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Niger, Peru, and Uganda. Each mentee was paired with a mentor who shared their expertise through exchanges and guided learning, including at the recent Desertif’Actions Summit in Tunisia.
At this summit, the largest gathering of civil society organizations working on desertification and land degradation, mentors and mentees came together to share their experiences in a session about how local action can be turned into global influence.
Four mentees, Jovis Sabuni Sikitoka from Uganda, Fanna Abdou Gado from Niger, Abdul Aziz from The Gambia, and Lalla Aïcha Guindo Traore from Mali, shared how the mentorship program had shaped their journeys and brought them to the summit not simply to listen, but to actively engage. Their reflections revealed a shift from working in isolation at the local level to navigating international spaces with confidence and purpose.
Left and middle: Mentees and mentors at the 2026 Desertif'Actions Summit. Right: At CRIC23 in Panama. Photos courtesy of Uxue Urteaga Ruiz de Viñaspre
They spoke about reshaping how land restoration happens, by placing decision‑making where it belongs. Farmers were presented as central economic actors whose choices sustain landscapes, livelihoods, and local economies. Women emerged as entrepreneurs and change‑makers building viable agroforestry futures. Across contexts, local action stood out not as small‑scale work, but as the foundation of lasting environmental and economic change.
Participants in the program also stressed the power of understanding Land Degradation Neutrality targets and being able to closely follow negotiations related to them.
“The mentorship is helping me connect my field work with farmers in The Gambia to broader global discussions on land restoration. I am gaining skills to translate local challenges into policy messages that can influence decision making, and it is helping me better communicate the real experiences of communities affected by land degradation,” said Abdul Aziz Sidibe, Operations Manager at The Soil Solution, a civil society organization working to transform agriculture and land management through innovative, sustainable, and community-driven solutions focused on healthy soils. “Today, I am able to bring the perspectives of farmers, youth, and local communities from The Gambia into international conversations.”
Lalla Aïcha Guindo Traore is Director of AgriDev Mali, a Bamako-based agricultural enterprise and consultancy specializing in market gardening, fruit arboriculture, and sustainable farming. She said the mentorship was opening up new opportunities for engagement and leadership over the long term. “We are in a strategic phase of transformation, where the foundations of future impact are being laid,” she said.
Ellen Otaru‑Okoedion of the UNCCD Civil Society Panel stressed that mentorship ran deeper than guidance alone. True mentorship, she noted, is built on trust, shared growth, and the ability to see the world through another’s eyes. It is also a responsibility: to open doors for others and strengthen partnerships that make progress possible.
With continued support from the GEF and its partners, civil society will engage with efforts to advance Land Degradation Neutrality, including at the next UNCCD Conference of the Parties in Mongolia in August. Ensuring that global ambitions are grounded in local realities is essential, because restoring land is not only measured in hectares – it is also about people, because land is life.
