A passion for agriculture and its people drives Cedric Nwafor, a social entrepreneur and public speaker who has organized, facilitated and spoken at various events across Africa and the US. He is the founder of ROOTS Africa, a youth-led organization that combats hunger, poverty and exclusion by connecting students and agricultural experts in the US and Africa.

While earning his Bachelor’s degree, he visited farms in Idaho and Maryland as well as in Rwanda, Liberia and Uganda to learn different approaches to farm life and management. Along the way, Cedric became an agricultural evangelist, engaging African youth in civic affairs in both cities and rural communities.

He believes that engaging the young generations in agriculture is vital to the future of the African continent and the socio-economic well-being of its peoples.

Cedric previously served as a member of the “Power Team” of the Afrika Youth Movement and coordinator for five committees, and as a Mentor and Advocate for Streetwise Partners, an organization supporting low-income populations. He was a 2016 nominee for the African Youth in Agriculture Award and commencement speaker at his graduation from the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture & Natural Resources with a BA in Agriculture and Resource Economics with a focus on Entrepreneurship.

Cedric, who was born and raised in Cameroon, immigrated to the United States in 2010 and now resides in suburban Washington, DC.