Capacity Building for the Youth
Last year, 2SCALE facilitated the training of 48 youth in the partnership to work as Spray Service Providers (SSP’s). This would enable the youth to earn an income whist also providing critical crop protection and advisory services to the smallholder farmers from the partnership. Through the training, the SSPs were provided with basic protection kit, including a safe use manual, polythene spray coat/suit, respirators, gloves, and goggles. Among the trainees, the finalist graduated 48 SSPs were issued with a photo identity card for them to use when they are in the field and interact with farmers. This official card and a recognition certificate helps to differentiate them from imposters. The SSPs will serve the Merti, Jeju and Sire woreda.
During the life and business skills training concluded in November 2021, 50% of the trained and deployed SSPs have reported back on the log sheet that was provided to them during the Technical Training and graduation ceremony in September 2021.
A thorough discussion platform was organized as a
follow up session after the youth business & life skills training This soft
skills training was facilitated by the country Youth Inclusion team along with
the Awash Olana Partnership Facilitator, to enable the SSPs to be fully
equipped with business, time, communication, money, and people management
skills in addition to the technical training they previously received. As a
follow up, a panel discussion was held on how far they were able to implement
the SSP intervention, what were the challenges faced and planned on future
implementations and identified further support areas.
Impact of the Trainings
As per the report from September to November, only 24 SSPs (all young men) were able to fill in the log sheet form. This form facilitates proper tracking of the impact of the SSP’s among smallholder farmers. Even though only 50% of trained SSPs properly reported, this limited report still shows that 74 hectares of land was able to be cultivated in an eco-efficient manner. A key challenge on how to fill the log sheet and its relevance was once again provided to the 48 SSPs as a refresher training by CropLife Ethiopia.
Ashenafi Misganaw who is a 24-year-old aspiring crop science graduate said that “The trainings were ground-breaking and eye opening. I loved the fact that they were interesting and practical. I have not grasped this much detailed technical and life/business skills in the formal education system while doing my BA. After the technical training, I have provided the professional spraying services and consciously observed the misleading information provided by local chemical suppliers in my area. Now I am determined to engage myself in the business of chemical/input provision service alongside the SSP. In addition to my own economic gains, I aim to contribute to rescue the well-being of smallholder farmers and reduce cost of production. I was unemployed and desperate for a job but now the partnership with 2SCALE provided me with a self-employment and community serving opportunity. Moreover, I am one of the two graduates among the trained and deployed SSPs. That makes me feel more obligated to coordinate campaigns with the remaining SSPs and strongly work on the awareness creation of over utilization of chemicals and the other details behind the SSP concept to SHFs.”
Through this intervention the reporting 24 SSPs were able to generate 65,700 ETB (1,169.23 Euro) for themselves. Just within two months’ time, they were able to address and create awareness towards 105 smallholder farmers via the SSP concept. Besides the fact that these SSPs were able to generate an average additional income of 2,738 ETB (49 Euro) on monthly bases via serving as SSP, they were able to show signals of fruitful results at commencement and a possible bright future for the SSP model.
