Latest news - Back to newsroom

Training of Trainers - Masters Course – for the improving local capacities to support the development of FFS in Mozambique

13 November 2006, Maputo/Mozambique – Mozambique started to implement extensively the FFS approach in 2002 in Zambézia Province with the technical support of FAO and financial support of AfDB through the project UTF/MOZ/068/MOZ. In 2003 a follow-up project - PAN II - as Zambezia project under the food security umbrella, was approved and was funded by the Italian Government and adopts the FFS approach to introducing improvements in the farming systems and livelihoods. To date there are about 366 FFS being implemented with the participation of more than 7.000 farmers in four provinces (Zambézia, Manica, Sofala and Maputo) of the country. It is expected that the number will continue to rise but an identified weaknesses is the absence of a critical mass of trainers in the country which can provide high level technical and methodological backstopping to this process.  

Given the interest of this approach to contributing to food security, the National Directorate of Agrarian Extension (DNEA) decided that it is a matter of priority to have a masters training course locally in Mozambique in order to create local capacity to assist the implementation of FFS.

Objectives of the Course:

Training of Master Trainers for FFS in Methodology, implementation expertise, monitoring and evaluation of FFS. Production of training materials for the main crops to be used by extension works during the FFS facilitation. Produce National capacity of providing FFS services. The Master trainer must be able to facilitate training of FFS facilitators, analyse the process and propose corrections on FFS implementation.

Participant's Background:

Worker in an institution or NGO committed with FFS activities. With at least diploma Available to follow long season training With ability to work with farmer’s groups With experience on FFS facilitation

Curriculum of Training:

It includes:

• Methodology (Concept and principles of FFS, Adult education, What’s this what’s that, FFS methodology, Group formation, Curriculum design, PTDs, FFS implementation FFS evaluation and graduation, Post graduation activities, FFS Monitoring and evaluation, reporting, project presentation, impact assessment)

• Technology (Crop management, Husbandry management, IPM, Conservation Agriculture, Quality seeds, post harvesting management, soil management, water harvesting)

• Crosscutting issues (HIV/AIDS, Gender)

Course description

The duration of TOT will be 90 days approximately from 27 November 2006 to February 24, in Chimoio in the Province of Manica. The main crop maize (and vegetable) and a cycle of broilers will be grown.

The course starts with maize sowing and ends at the stage of harvesting of fresh maize approximately. A second activity will be grown chicks up to a stage read for consumption. During this time the participants will learn and discuss FFS methodology, produce learning materials for maize and other main crops and animals to be used by facilitators and extension workers during FFS implementation along all country. It’s planed to have at least 5 FFS facilitated by the participants up to the end of the TOT and after by extension workers leaving in the same district.

It is to note that four participants from Angola will be benefit from this training course.

The course will be financed by various sources, namely the African Development Bank funded project UTF/MOZ/068/MOZ, the regional project GCP/RAF/399/IFA financed by IFAD, a contribution from PAN II programme and the Government of Mozambique.

For further information contact:

Mr. Eugenio Macamo
Programme Officer, FAO