Airtea Project Conducts Training Of Trainers For Women And Youth Champions At Mburugu Dairy Fcs

By Admin

Embu County, 6th–10th February 2023

The AIRTEA Project successfully conducted a Training of Trainers (ToT) for women and youth champions at Mburugu Dairy Farmers Co-operative Society (FCS) in Embu County from 6th to 10th February 2023. The five-day training marked a significant milestone in strengthening local capacity for knowledge transfer and innovation uptake within the dairy value chain.

The ToT was implemented under the project “Leveraging the Benefits of Multi-Stakeholders Partnership to Support Rural Women and Youth in the Dairy Sector in Kenya”, being implemented by the Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) as part of the wider AIRTEA regional programme. The training brought together selected women and youth leaders drawn from the cooperative, who are expected to serve as change agents within their communities.

Building Local Champions for Sustainable Dairy Development

The primary objective of the ToT was to equip women and youth champions with the technical knowledge, practical skills, and facilitation capacity required to train fellow dairy farmers. By developing trainers from within the cooperative, the project aims to ensure sustainability, peer learning, and wider dissemination of innovations beyond the project period.

Throughout the week, participants engaged in interactive learning sessions combining theory and practical demonstrations. The training covered key areas critical to improving dairy productivity and profitability, including good dairy husbandry practices, milk quality and hygiene, cooperative-based service delivery, record keeping, and the importance of collective marketing through cooperatives.

Emphasis on Practical Learning and Peer Exchange

The training adopted a participatory approach, encouraging experience sharing and active involvement of all participants. Women and youth champions were guided on effective training methods, communication skills, and how to cascade knowledge to fellow farmers within their networks.

Discussions also focused on the role of women and youth in the dairy value chain, highlighting opportunities for income generation, service provision, and leadership within cooperative structures. Participants shared real-life challenges faced at farm and cooperative level and jointly explored practical, context-specific solutions.

Strengthening the Role of Cooperatives

Mburugu Dairy FCS was highlighted as a critical platform for mobilising farmers, aggregating milk, and delivering economic and advisory services. The ToT reinforced the importance of cooperatives as centres for innovation, capacity building, and market access, particularly for women and youth farmers.

Participants were encouraged to work closely with cooperative leadership and extension service providers to ensure consistent application of best practices and continuous farmer support.

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the training, the women and youth champions demonstrated improved confidence and readiness to conduct farmer trainings and support peer learning initiatives. The ToT is expected to contribute to increased milk productivity, improved milk quality, and enhanced participation of women and youth in cooperative activities.

The trained champions will play a key role in supporting the AIRTEA project’s broader objectives of increasing incomes, improving livelihoods, and strengthening food and nutrition security among dairy farming households.

Looking Ahead

The ToT at Mburugu Dairy FCS forms part of a series of capacity-building interventions being implemented across selected cooperatives in Embu county. As the AIRTEA project continues into 2023, the focus remains on strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships, scaling successful innovations, and ensuring that women and youth are at the centre of dairy sector transformation.

The group photo taken outside at the end of the training symbolised a shared commitment by the women and youth champions to apply their skills, support fellow farmers, and contribute to a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable dairy sector in Kenya.