Global NGO Unveils Digital Agriculture Champions Initiative in Africa
One of the earliest Global Non Governmental Organisation, Heifer International, has unveiled a Digital Agriculture Champions, DAC, initiative in Africa.
The initiative setting out in Kenya will deliver sustainable, cost-effective training modules for smallholder farmers across Africa.
The Digital Agriculture Champions will capitalize on the network effect by first running programs that incubate young entrepreneurs. Each of them will engage approximately 200 households in rural communities, with the knowledge, tools, and networks needed to transform agricultural business in a sustainable way.
Heifer , created in 1944, is advancing technology and mechanization to address some of the post-pandemic challenges across different Agricultural value chains in Africa.
Post Pandemic Response Strategy
It is also investing in digital extension systems for training as a post-pandemic response strategy that would create efficient, scalable solutions for farmers and help boost the value chains in which they work.
Senior Vice President Africa Programs, Adesuwa Ifedi while speaking from Heifer Africa region office said, the NGO was also committed to mentoring the youth who often constitute the extension staff, and is focused on empowering them to become digital champions with entrepreneurship skills.
She said these skills would ensure quality services for farmers, and sustainable business models beyond the life of Heifer project interventions.
“Heifer is committed to catalyzing ground-up engagement of the youth in Agriculture. The Digital Agriculture Champions initiative will foster the application of digital technology in Agriculture, delivering solutions that address challenges faced by smallholder farmers at scale,” Adesuwa said.
According to her, “The idea for the Agriculture, Youth and Technology, AYuTe Africa Challenge”, was conceived by Heifer based on four decades of work as a trusted partner of African farmers, and seeing first-hand the stark difference between local farms that have access to new technologies and those that do not.”
Technical Partners
In accordance with this tech innovation drive, Heifer is working with Kuza Biashara, a digital social enterprise, as technical partner, to offer a bundled solution that provides personalized digital training and extension services to smallholder farmers in Africa.
Kuza’s founder, Sriram Bharatam says, “the partnership with Kuza is a product of Heifer International’s “AYuTe Africa Challenge”, a competition that awards cash grants of up to US$1.5 million annually to the most promising young Agri-technology innovators across Africa who are using technology to reimagine farming and food production across the continent. Kuza, though not emerging as winners, were top contenders with strong capacity and capabilities to deliver Heifer’s content digitization initiative, the Digital Agriculture Champions at scale. 2
According to him, “We are a strong believer in the fact that one plus one is 11. When you bring tools to partners together with a common, shared vision and values, you can create magic.
While speaking on the Kuza partnership, Adesuwa stated that by creating an ecosystem comprising of mentors who provide emotional, functional, and technical support to micro-entrepreneurs, the Digital Agriculture Champions initiative aspires to drive a continental movement, providing a collective voice to millions of previously excluded youths.
“We are providing a comprehensive digital platform for the front-line extension workers, who we are referring to as Digital Agriculture Champions; to learn at their own pace, connect with their farmers and grow their agribusiness. We will mentor and handhold them through their journey from incubation to the growth stage via the Kuza OneNetwork platform.” Adesuwa added.
About Heifer and Kuza
Heifer International is a global NGO that has been in existence since 1944, and has worked with more than 39 million people around the world to end hunger and poverty.
It supports farmers and local food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income.
Kuza is a B Corp certified social enterprise from Kenya. Focusing on the “bottom billion”, Kuza offers a mobile-first micro-learning community platform that provides youth, women and micro-entrepreneurs from marginalized communities with the opportunity to learn, connect and grow on their terms and pace.
PR/Confidence Okwuchi
