15.01.2018

Training for Development and Agriculture

From 7th to 12th January 2018, the United Evangelical Mission Africa Regional office conducted a training to heads of Development and Agriculture departments from three UEM member churches. The training involved 14 participants from 7 UEM member churches, namely ELCT- North Western Diocese (NWD), ELCT-North Eastern Diocese (NED), ELCT- Eastern and Coastal Diocese (ECD), ELCT- Karagwe Diocese (KAD), Presbyterian Church of Rwanda (EPR), Anglican Church of Rwanda (EAR) and Baptist Church of Central Africa of DRC (CBCA). The workshop was hosted by Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania North Eastern Diocese at Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University. The main goal of the training was to equip heads of departments with skills and knowledge on improved horticulture production techniques. It is expected that after this training, participants will be able to train youth and eomen commercial producer groups in their respective churches. The participants had opportunities to discuss and share various success and challenges regarding horticulture practices from their churches especially the techniques used in farming production. It is observed that, most farmers in our churches still using traditional farming techniques and produce food for consumption rather than farming to produce food for business purpose. From this training, the trainees were able to learn good practices of Horticulture that will be shared and applied to Commercial Producer Groups in churches. The following topics were introduced:

• Rural Economy
• Producer organization
• Producer organization and the market
• Working with producer organization
• Horticultural business and the market
• Farming as a business and its risks
• Contract farming
• Types of farm records
• Projected income statement and its importance
• Land and soil requirement for horticulture production
• Climate change and its adaptation
• Vegetable crop management
• Business plan and write up

Recommendations The following recommendations came out the mentioned training:

• Each head of department of development (contact person) shall give a feedback on the progress of the Commercial producer groups in his/her church to UEM Regional office on Quarterly basis.
• The UEM Regional Office will see the possibility of funding for the Commercial Producer Groups project, specifically for youth and women projects in the UEM member churches for the better result and follow up.
• The UEM Regional Office is recommended to strengthen communication with its member churches on matters related to youth and women projects and development matters.
• There should be a clear monitoring tools to track various activities which is implemented by the Regional office to the UEM member churches.
• The participants strongly recommended the implementation of the goals agreed in the training based on their context to facilitate youth and women CPGs in their churches.
• The participants recommended to the Regional Office to organize a reflection meeting/follow up workshop to evaluate the implementation of this training.

The participants encouraged UEM member churches to promote youth and women projects according to their possibilities and available local resources in their churches. Rev. Dr. Muke Nagaju (head of UEM Regional Office Africa)