Meru, Kenya

Contract

Company Description

SNV is a non-profit international development organisation established in the Netherlands in 1965. For over 50 years, SNV has been at the forefront of development, helping to build local capacity and empower local  families and communities to break the cycle of poverty. We are present on the ground in 30 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Middle East and South America and operate in Agriculture & Food Security, Renewable Energy, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene. Our 1,200+ advisors in the field come from a variety of cultural and technical backgrounds, and the vast majority are nationals of the countries where we work.

Kenya Market-led Dairy Programme (KMDP)

The Kenya Market-led Dairy Programme Phase (KMDP) is funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nairobi. Phase I of the programme (KMDP-I) started 1st July 2012 and ended 31st December 2016. Phase II (KMDP-II: From Aid-to-Trade) runs from 1st October 2016 till 1st July 2019. KMDP is implemented by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation Kenya, in collaboration with local and international stakeholders. The overall goal of KMDP-I and II is to contribute to the development of a competitive, market-driven and private sector-led Kenyan dairy sector, with beneficiaries across the value chain.

Training of Lead Farmers - Practical Dairy Training Centers (PDTCs)

In KMDP-I the concept of practical Dairy Training Centers or Farms was developed or supported PDTCs are medium scale dairy farms that have invested in offering structured 1-day or 1-week training courses for practical skills and knowledge transfer. They are meeting and stimulating demand for technical practical skills in dairy production across a diverse clientele of dairy farmers/ entrepreneurs. Through KMDP-I and KMDP-II over 200 lead farmers from over 30 CBEs were trained at 3 different PDTCs (Willens and Lewa in Eldoret, Mawingu in Nyeri) in the period 2013-17. KMDP II works with 17 CBES, 15 of them affiliated to Meru Dairy Farmers Cooperative Union (MDFCU). Lead farmer training in Meru County through a PDTC model is one of the T&E approaches adopted by KMDP-II aimed at ensuring sustainability of farmer training. The lead farmers (LF), are the top milk suppliers in the CBE (30-100 lts/day–depending on the CBE), and exhibit relatively good dairy practices that their peers can learn from. An additional criteria is their willingness to avail their farms for learning and sharing of dairy farming knowledge and information with other farmers from within and beyond the CBE’s geographic coverage. The lead farmers form study groups where they make rotational farm visits to learn from each other. Overall, the LFs are not necessarily the best by national standards, but represent the best in the context of the different milk sheds and “their” CBE. In 2018 KMDP-II identified a dairy farm in Meru County that could serve as “PDTC” and has developed already a regular training program through the support of SNV advisors in Meru to provide lead farmer training. The farm has in 2018 invested in facilities and infrastructure to accommodate 15 farmers for longer training programs. KMDP plans to use this facility for future training of lead farmers through a cost share model between the farmers and MDFCU. The trainers will be drawn from the KMDP team on the ground and 1 external trainer. The trainees will be drawn from all the 15 CBEs under the program with each CBEs nominating 7 farmers through a predetermined criteria. Also T&E staff of MDFCU and the cooperatives will be trained. The training will run in the months of May-August 2018.

For this purpose, KMDP-II wishes to contract an external qualified practical dairy production trainer to work with the Meru dairy advisors/trainers and T&E staff of MDFCU on the ground, delivering training at the PDTC in Meru County. Training modules and other materials for these 1-week trainings are already available and tested/used.

Develop with KMDP Meru Team programme for 1-week training sessions for lead farmers

Set up the team of trainers and make weekly work plans in line with the training topics

Liaise with the farm owner and other staff in the farm on use of the farm for training purposes and their participation in the trainings

Deliver and take lead in the practical training according to prearranged training schedules

Develop a brief report of each training

BSc Science or BSc dairy production from a recognized University or College

Experience in delivering practical training to dairy farmers

Knowledge and affinity of the PDTC concept

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