Youths in agriculture introduced to “capacity development” and facilitation of Multi-Stakeholder Processes
Twenty-one youth and individuals from organizations supporting youth initiatives/programmes in agriculture and rural development in Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have been participating in a one-month, three-phase Blended Learning Programme (BLP) on “Strengthening the capacities of Young Farmers Organizations in ‘Capacity Development’ in East and South Africa”.
The first phase of the BLP took place from 13 March to 2 April 2023, comprising synchronous and asynchronous sessions that introduced participants to the concepts of capacity development (CD), assessment, design, and tracking CD. The second phase, a face-to-face event held in Menlyn, Pretoria, South Africa, on 12-14 April 2023, allowed attendees to practice developing CD plans and the logical framework for tracking capacity development activities and results; and to plan and practice facilitating Multi-Stakeholder Processes (MSPs). The third phase is the Coaching Phase and it will run for two months, from 17 April to 16 June, offering participants an opportunity to receive support from the course facilitators to integrate the knowledge and skills learned during the training into their work environment.
The experiential course is a collaboration between the Capacity Development Team in the Responsible Agricultural Investments, Learning, and Scientific Information Unit (PSUR) of the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU) in collaboration with the Information Training & Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA).
After the face-to-face event, participants provided positive feedback, including the following:
“Capacity development usually sounds complex but with the tool and approaches used on the course, it was very easy to comprehend”, Bridget Masikati, Zimbabwe Farmers Union.
“The Blended Learning Program gave key insights and practical tools on how to conduct capacity and developing sustainable organization programs. I strongly believe the capacity assessments tools will be very handy in my job”, Mawejje Harbert, Young Farmers Federation of Uganda.
“From the training programme, I learned how and in what way state and non-state actors should be involved in the projects and how to assess stakeholder capacity in order to engage them in the initiatives”, Teklu Hailu Abraha, Mizan Tepi University, Ethiopia.
Youth and their organizations have a great potential to contribute to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and transforming agrifood systems. It is thus pivotal to empower them to be actively involved in designing, delivering, and tracking capacity development initiatives targeting youth organizations and their members to enhance ownership and ensure the sustainability of the initiatives and results.