Joel Cherop is a Ugandan and beneficiary of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme. His agri-business, Ataari River Integrated Irrigation Initiative (ARIII), a horticulture and rice production venture identifies, trains and seeds young people to begin their own agri-business ventures in a model dubbed “Learn as you earn”.

Since receiving seed capital from the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, ARIII has grown from strength to strength and has been at the forefront of transforming agriculture from peasant-led to commercial. As such, they have championed efforts like organising irrigation masterclasses to help mitigate the effects of climate change. ARII also organises Open Field days to link farmers to the latest technologies in Agriculture.

ARII hosted His Excellency, the President of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Museveni, to commission an irrigation project and tackle the effects of climate change – currently a threat to agriculture in Uganda.