Overview of Junior Farmer Field School_Facilitator Testimony_Margaret Okullu
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Addressing the needs of rural youth is gathering attention with international development agencies, donors and private companies supporting new initiatives by governmental and non-governmental organizations in many parts of the world and in Africa in particular. Issues surrounding rural youths such as limited access to educational services, dependency on mainly unpaid labour in family farms and working in the informal sector as well as the considerable impact of migration on their livelihoods - especially affecting young women- have been widely recognized as significant. There is overall agreement that if youth issues are not addressed high rates of youth unemployment and under-employment will persist and overall development in African countries could be negatively affected. In this context and in line with its 2011 – 2015 Strategic Framework, The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in partnership with PROCASUR Africa, organized an eight day learning route on Innovative ideas and approaches to integrate Rural Youth in Agriculture. The progress in Kenya between the 11th to the 18th of August 2014. The aim of this Learning Route was to contribute to lesson-sharing and learning at country and regional level in order to build technical capacities within IFAD´s operations and partners in the ESA region on innovative strategies and approaches to engage rural youth in agriculture, increase employment and reduce poverty. One of the host case studies of this learning route was the Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools, (JFFLS) FAO: The JFFLS is as a holistic, participatory training strategy, promoting acquisition of technical and agricultural knowledge and life skills, involving different community stakeholders who live in vulnerable situations. It is a participatory training process based on practical and field learning, involving a group of some 25 - 30 children and youth who meet often, supported by a facilitator, sharing knowledge from experience gained on a demonstration plot located on one side of the school. JFFLS participants are expected to replicate their lessons learned back at home, encouraging food production and even enhancing their own families’ income by selling some of their produce.
Transcript of Overview of Junior Farmer Field School_Facilitator Testimony_Margaret Okullu
Facilitator testimony overview of JFFLS
by Margaret Okullu
Training of facilitatorsI have been JFFLS facilitator for Majiwa
Primary School since 2008. Currently I facilitate 40 youths comprising of
18 girls and 22 boys.As facilitator I was trained for two weeks on
JFFLS methodology concept and approach.
Link with primary schools (Main stakeholders)Head teacherSchool teaching staffLocal Administration .Guardians, Care taker/parents.School committeeJFFLS management committee.
Cont…Members are given roles and responsibilities.Activities that are carried in the group
include working on the farms, and taking care of the produce that come out from the farms, selling of vegetables, singing, dancing etc.
Other topics life skills (carrying out AESA and HESA)
The produced that are got from the farm are consumed by JFFLS members while others like vegetables are sold to community.
Pupils taking AESA Pupils are harvesting their Kales for consumption
Follow up of JFFLSFollow ups of JFFLSFacilitators work hand in hand with Bondo
Network office and Ministry of Agriculture for relevant guidelines like in dealing with diseases and new agricultural skills.
Filed days are held in schools and participants explain how they conduct their activities back in their farms to the community and to other schools. Various guest and stakeholders are invited too to come learn the new agricultural skills.
Cont…Through the coordination of Bondo Network and
Ministry of Agriculture, certificates are then awarded to the JFFLS participants. Therefore JFFLS in Siaya County is important not only to the participants but to the whole community as far as food security is concerned. It changes the participants from being idle to hard work and realize food security, social life as skills are also a component of it.
Gender issues and nutrition as atopic are also covered as topics of discussion.
Such skills are also replicated at home by the participants.
Follow up by BFFSN
Main constrainsAnimals destroying farmsRegular exchange visit.Drought in the area.
