Capacity Building and Training

CAPACITY BUILDING TRAININGS:

YOUTH “HANDS-ON” AGRIBUSINESS SKILLS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM.

The “Hands-on” outreach program trains out-of-school and out-of-work youth, the majority of whom are standard seven and secondary school leavers who represent young farmers from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds and vulnerable youth and girls from rural communities. The training is conducted at the Mkongo Agricultural Youth Camp located in Rufiji District and at the SUGECO incubation center in Morogoro.   The project receives support from the Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO) and SUGECO works in partnership with the Rufiji Basin Development Authority(RUBADA). To date, 1200 out-of-school/out-of-job youth and young farmers have been trained thus far.

During the implementation of the project, SUGECO established several demo farms for selected value chains. For example, in horticulture, SUGECO is using greenhouse technologies, drip systems, and improved traditional farming technics. Other demo farms include poultry farming, beekeeping as well as root and tubers cultivation, and research (cassava and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes). 

GREEN HOUSE CONSTRUCTION AND HORTICULTURAL TRAINING PROJECT. 

The project is funded through the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Work, Youth, Employment, and the Disabled. The goal is to construct 180 greenhouses (8 by 30 meters) for a similar number of Town Councils. The project will employ youth in two areas: construction and maintenance of greenhouses and horticulture.  A total of 83 greenhouses will be built in phase 1 and each greenhouse will support 20 young participants selected by each town council. SUGECO is one of three implementing partners and is responsible for:  the construction of 14 greenhouses (6 in Lindi and 8 in Ruvuma);  the training of almost 100 Trainers (ToTs) for the entire project; training of +200 participants; and post-production marketing advice. 

NIRAS/LOCAL INVESTMENT CLIMATE PROJECT: YOUTH ENGAGEMENT SUPPORT (INCUBATION) – KIBAKWE RESOURCE CENTER.

The Local Investment Climate Project (LIC) has a mandate to invest in business infrastructure and business facilities and directly target the obstacles to business growth at the local level in Kigoma and Dodoma Regions. By working with both Local Government Authorities (LGAs) and the local business community the overall goal is to create economic variables and financial sustainable investments. SUGECO has been engaged as a service provider to the Kibakwe Resource Center which falls under the Mpwapwa District Council in Dodoma. The center is estimated to have 10ha of potentially cultivatable land, linked with ideal training facilities connected with electricity, a training room, a hostel with capacities to accommodate 40 trainees, and a mechanization unit. The center has one water source (Boreholes) equipped with a solar pump and the capacity to discharge 4,100 liters of water per hour.

SUGECO’s role in the project is to provide training to 20 TOTs at its facility in Morogoro and 63 youth (38 female, 25 male) at the Kibakwe Resource Center.  Participants which will be drawn from the farming area surrounding the Center will receive training in good agricultural practices (beekeeping, horticulture, poultry, or animal husbandry) as well as entrepreneurial and business skills and technology transfer.  Once the training and follow-up are completed, the LGAs will provide the participants with access to land and credit support.  This is a 6-month project which began in early 2019. 

START-UP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT (ITC-FUNDED GREEN HOUSE PROJECT).

Supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC), the project constructed greenhouses and supported young farmers in horticulture supply/value chains to high-end markets (hotels, restaurants, and resorts). Through training and production, the youth were exposed to agricultural and irrigation system technologies as well as marketing opportunities. To date, 15 greenhouses have been installed in Dodoma (7), Rufiji (7), and Morogoro (1), and 14 youth have been trained.  The Morogoro greenhouse is also being used as a research and demonstration facility. The program was completed in July 2018. Because of its success, SUGECO hopes to attract funding for a second phase.

THE NUTRITION AWARENESS & CASH CROPS VALUE CHAIN PROJECT (NACC). 

This is a collaborative initiative between SUGECO, Farm Africa, and Big Lottery Fund, aiming to address issues facing smallholder farmers (SHF) in the Gairo and Kilosa districts of Morogoro. The target groups were smallholder farmers, extension workers, village leaders, farmers, nutrition officers, pregnant and lactating women, food vendors, food processors, market agents, and roadside sellers. 4000 participants were trained directly along with another 20,000 trained indirectly. 

JIAJIRI BUSINESS DIALOGUE.

Jiajiri is a platform that allows graduates engaged in agriculture to share their knowledge, best practices, experiences, and challenges. The dialogue aims to inspire the younger members to improve their agricultural skills and engage in the development of agribusiness enterprises. Also included is the opportunity to participate in the annual Inter-University Jiajiri Business Dialogue which brings together students from various colleges and universities for a day-long forum.