African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services

AFAAS and KAFACI joint efforts to strengthen capacities of public extension actors

The two partners organised a four days training program to strengthen capacities of public extension actors from ministries of agriculture and public agencies from fifteen countries across Africa. The training of trainers (ToT) workshop organized from 26th to 29th October 2017 in Durban, South Africa by African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) and the Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI) was one of the side events of the agricultural extension Week 2017. The aim of this ToT was to build capacities of public extension actors in use of different methods approaches and tools. It was also intended to fill gaps on low capacity of extension workers in dealing with a dynamic changing AEAS environment; limited knowledge and skills in using AEAS methods, approaches and tools; limited competency in multi-stakeholders facilitation with an increasing landscape of service providers; and weak capacity for planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of extension programs. The 15 public extension delegates who attended the workshop were trained on extension approaches, methods and tools, new extensionist tool kit, ICT and Knowledge management, participatory training methodologies, AEAS professionalization, and cross cutting and emerging issues (Gender and youth, Climate Smart Agriculture, Food and nutrition Security). According to Dr. Cho Gyoung-Rae, the KAFACI Secretary General, the partnership with AFAAS is an opportunity to wide their reach but also to contribute to strengthening capacity of AFAAS network members through such initiatives. The Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative is an intergovernmental and multilateral cooperation body aiming to improve food production, achieve sustainable agriculture and enhance extension services of African countries through knowledge and information sharing on agricultural technologies.