Farm advisors working with Self Help Africa have been awarded prestigious bursaries to attend a short agricultural training course at one of the UK’s leading agricultural colleges.

Two village-based ‘lead farmers,’ Lucy Mitole from Malawi and Christine Otieno from Kenya arrived in England this week, to take part in a 10-week course at Mounton College in the Midlands. They are joined on the course by Self Help Africa community development facilitator Chrissy Moyo and Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture advisor Alice Achieng.

The training is being enabled by support from the Marshal Papworth Trust, which provides skills training in the UK to African extension workers and community-based farm trainers.

The aim of the course is to help students to both increase their knowledge and build upon their existing agricultural skills. They will study a range of topics including animal and plant husbandry, hand tools and small machinery, as well as trainer skills and a module in small-scale business management.

Upon completion of the course, participants gain a globally-recognised ‘Practical Vocational Qualification’, and bring a wealth of new skills and knowledge back to their local communities to share with others.

It is the second year that Self Help Africa staff and collaborators have benefitted from training support provided by Marshal Papworth Trust.

(Pictured above, left to right are Chrissy Moyo, Zuhra Achieng, Mahmoud Alice, Lucy Mitole, Mark Ireland, SHA Head of Region, and Christine Otieno)

Below is a short video that captures the experience of a lead farmer from Malawi who travelled to the UK in 2015 to take part in a similar training initiative.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg3OJ0nCPd4&w=560&h=485]