The Rayuwa Project
Five Years of Regenerative, Community-Led Change in Northern Nigeria
The Challenge: Annual Hunger Seasons
In Northern Nigeria’s farming communities, people faced a difficult reality: the annual “hunger season.” In 2019, 63% of households experienced periods when food ran out, forcing families to cut meals or go hungry.
This wasn’t just about a lack of food—it reflected deeper challenges where farmers didn’t have access to climate resilient agricultural practices, community networks, and quality education for their children. With climate change intensifying extreme weather and traditional farming methods producing fewer crops, communities needed more than short-term aid. They needed a pathway to lasting resilience. The Rayuwa Project helped provide that.
How Partnership Cut Hunger and Built Lasting Resilience
Rayuwa—meaning life in Hausa—began as a bold collaboration between Pyxera Global, the John Deere Foundation, the state government, and the local community in 2019.
The Rayuwa Project was a multi-year program designed to improve the livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farming communities in Nigeria’s Katsina and Kaduna states.
Pyxera Global served as the systems navigator, translating John Deere Foundation’s commitment into a community-led initiative. Our role was to connect resources with local expertise, design structures that put farmers and families in the lead, and ensure agriculture, education, and financial tools worked together as a system. Rather than delivering aid, we created the conditions for long-term resilience that communities could sustain and scale on their own.
Rayuwa wasn’t built around charity – it was built around collaboration, long-term planning, and trust. It represented a new approach to rural development that puts local communities at the center as partners and looks at how everything (agriculture, education, and entrepreneurship) connects.
Watch the Impact
While the project has closed, its impact is lasting. Watch how the Rayuwa Project has impacted communities in Northern Nigeria:
Building Pathways to Regeneration
Rayuwa focused on two interconnected areas: the business side of regenerative agriculture and how education supports improved success for the children in the community.
Regenerative Agriculture as a Business:
- Introduced new farming techniques:
- Established demonstration plots where farmers could collaborate, learning from one another while adapting practices to local conditions.
- Climate-smart methods like vermicomposting (worms breaking down natural materials), growing different types of crops, and improved seeds were tested and refined by farmers themselves.
- Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) put financial power in local hands. An all-women’s VSLA saved $215,000 by 2024.
Accountable Education:
- Worked alongside School Management Committees, teachers, and education officials to strengthen local schools.
- Introduced student-centered learning methods, remedial support, and school governance structures.
- In 2024, Rayuwa partnered with 44 government schools, serving 128 villages and 22,159 students — 48% of whom are girls.
Bushrah Adamu, a 10-year-old from Kaduna State, dreams of becoming a nurse, but she and her peers faced significant challenges. Teachers were often absent, and many children stayed home to work on the farms.
The Rayuwa Project trained teachers and provided learners with essential learning materials. These resources improved learning conditions and motivated both students and teachers. Bushrah’s passion for education was ignited, boosting her confidence and strengthening her literacy, numeracy, and STEM skills.
“Before Rayuwa, becoming a nurse felt like an impossible dream. Now, with the support, learning materials, and STEM education I've received, I know I’m on the right path to achieving my goal.”
Long-Lasting Impact
When communities lead their own change, the results endure.
The power of Rayuwa isn’t just in these numbers—it’s in how these changes have taken root.
"I am grateful to the Rayuwa project for helping us realize that farming is a business enterprise."
He increased his maize harvest six-fold and now leads his community’s first men’s savings group.
This is what happens when we challenge outdated systems and replace them with regenerative, equitable alternatives—communities don’t just survive; they thrive. The Katsina state government’s commitment to scale Rayuwa’s approach demonstrates how locally-led solutions can transform entire regions. They want to expand Rayuwa’s approach from 13,756 farmers to 140,000.
“The Government is committed to replicating the transformative success of the Rayuwa project throughout the state. By harnessing its proven strategies and working closely with the local communities, we pledge to empower farmers, enhance food security, and ensure sustainable agricultural development for a prosperous future."
Looking Ahead
Rayuwa exemplifies that when systems are designed with and for communities, change scales. As we look ahead, the challenge isn’t whether regenerative models work; it’s how purposefully we can bring them to more places.
Explore the Rayuwa Project's annual reports, media, and blog posts:
- Case Study, Insight, Project
- Article, Project
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