KENYA – The Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF) and iCRA have joined forces, sealing a collaborative agreement to provide agribusiness training to farmers throughout the nation.
Representing the collective interests of farmers across Kenya, KENAFF has embarked on this groundbreaking partnership with iCRA, a Netherlands-based foundation with over 35 years of expertise in education, research, innovation, and agribusiness.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) took place on the 21st of March at KENAFF Headquarters in Thogoto, Kikuyu, with Daniel Mwendah, the Chief Executive Officer of KENAFF, and Cees Peter van den Brink, signing on behalf of iCRA.
Expressing his optimism about the collaboration, Mwendah highlighted the strategic objectives outlined in the KENAFF Strategic Plan 2022-2026, emphasizing the need to enhance professionalism within KENAFF County Associations.
He stressed the importance of fostering a business-oriented mindset among farmers, equipping them with essential business thinking and planning skills.
Additionally, Mwendah underscored the significance of bolstering county associations’ capabilities in lobbying and advocacy at the local level, essential for effective engagement with county leadership.
Van den Brink echoed Mwendah’s sentiments, expressing his satisfaction with the partnership. He emphasized iCRA’s commitment to cultivating partnerships and underscored the interpersonal skills crucial for the success of agribusiness endeavors.
According to Van den Brink, agribusiness is fundamentally people-driven, necessitating adept interpersonal skills to thrive in the sector.
Central to the collaboration between KENAFF and iCRA is youth empowerment. The initiative aims to create employment opportunities and stimulate interest in agribusiness among the youth.
Plans include revitalizing 4K Clubs in schools across three pilot counties to instill practical skills and foster entrepreneurship from a young age.
Furthermore, the partnership aims to democratize access to training by developing affordable fee-based services tailored to specific member categories.
By integrating high-level training into member benefits packages, the initiative seeks to enhance farmers’ proficiency across the agricultural value chain.
Leadership and staff development constitute another pivotal aspect of the collaboration. Tailor-made facilitation training focusing on partnership facilitation, large-scale interventions, and practice-based training will equip employees with the soft skills necessary for effective engagement and intervention tailoring at the county level, thus supporting KENAFF’s county-level expansion.
In addition to these core initiatives, KENAFF and iCRA will collaborate on joint fundraising endeavors targeting emerging issues such as climate-smart agriculture, gender programming, and agricultural innovations.
Leveraging their extensive networks, the two organizations will develop funding concepts and proposals targeting European donors, with KENAFF spearheading implementation efforts.
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