The power of hungry learners- Hacking their way to more food security in a refugee camp
YOUTH QUAKE - The GCYF BLOG #8
YOUTH QUAKE.
THE GCYF BLOG #8
The power of hungry learners—
Hacking their way to more food security in a refugee camp
What if you had next to nothing, say in a refugee camp where everything is in very short supply? Then…. you have to build from nothing—perhaps starting only with an idea.
That is just what some young Rohingya refugees did in Cox’s Bazar, the largest refugee camp in the world.
In 2025, the Global Center for Youth Futures (GCYF) discussed the seriousness of the food situation with networks of young people in the camps. How to supplement vital food aid? Could they grow food without needing access to agricultural land or expensive inputs?
GCYF proposed: how about hydroponic farming? Could it have potential here? Hydroponic farming does not require agricultural land (which is very scarce in the camps). Food can be grown on roofs and even vertical surfaces, such as the walls of makeshift refugee shelters. Water supply was not an issue (in fact, excessive rains were a problem). Other basic infrastructure (recycled water bottles etc.) could be managed by collective effort.
In a few weeks, one youth group had explored the idea further. They used open access internet resources, identified techniques that might work for them, and had canvassed almost 50 families to give it a try in an experimental “pilot phase”. They designed tutorials that were easy to understand and began to teach those families.
Astonishing results!
● 39 out of 50 families successfully harvested their first crops within 30–40 days.
● 85% of trained households are now growing fresh vegetables regularly.
● 70% reported improved food variety and saved money on market vegetables.
● 10 families began selling surplus produce, earning a small but meaningful income (average 250–400 BDT/month).
The founder of the youth network reported to GCYF in a document dated July 2025, “In a place where land is limited and hope is often in short supply, your suggestion became the foundation of a small movement—growing fresh food, selling it to others to earn, and having a tension-free family life with vegetables, all without soil….With the right resources, Hydroponics can become a camp-wide solution….We’re not only growing vegetables. We’re growing independence, education, and dignity in a place where those are often denied.”
The experiment has now scaled to 200 households – updated December 2025 data.
The world’s young people—however vulnerable they may be— are neither passive nor want to be dependent. While the crucial role of mentors to provide ideas and expertise cannot be underestimated--the most significant resources are their own capacities. A single relevant idea can be a game-changer. These hungry and capable learners will do the rest.
This is not just an experiment in food security—it is confirming evidence of youthful capacity to innovate and work for their right to health, food, and future even in extreme circumstances.
These incredibly bright learners continue with the work—but to grow productive capacity, to create sustainable supply chain and market loops, and to scale into other areas of the refugee camp –they will require more concrete support.
We are looking for partners to nurture and grow this youth experiment in food security—please contact
Anu Chakravarty
PhD, Cornell University.
Founder & CEO, GCYF Atlanta.
Phone: +1 919.389.3059
NOTE TO YOUNG PEOPLE: Teach yourself more about ideas that you think might work. You use your phone, connect to whatever intermittent internet is available, and learn all you can about how it works in other places and what you can do to adjust and make it work where you are. And then you teach others about the simple techniques that you think might work. And persuade others to give it a try. You bet on yourself—your energy and intelligence—and other young people like yourself.
