Trainer for Good Agricultural Practices – Vegetables and Fruit trees

Background

Mada Association is seeking qualified Trainers for Good Agriculture Practices, to work under the BMZ-funded project ‘Strengthening the resilience of Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities in northern Lebanon to the consequences of the country's socio-economic crises by promoting food and income security, rehabilitation of water-related and agricultural infrastructure, trainings, initial provision of households’, implemented by Mada Association in partnership with arche noVa.

The project targets Lebanese and Syrian farmers through direct support, namely distribution of farmer toolkit, capacity building and training focused on enterprise development, and support to build and/or enhance professional capacity, including integration into the formal market.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

The trainers selected will provide training to one or more group located in Akkar (Hrar, Ain Dahab, Daouret Akkar, Qabait, Mohamara, Borj El arab), Dannieh (Bet Fakes, Bqarsouna, Es Sfireh, Btermaz) and Minnieh and Bhanine

One or more trainers could be selected and Mada will decide on the distribution of groups among the selected trainers based on the activity's schedule and timeline.

Main tasks:

1. Provision of 10 training sessions (theoretical and practical) organized by Mada team for each group. The session is equivalent to 3 hours.
2. Develop the training material (PowerPoint presentation) in line with the training content (general curriculum outline) that will be provided by Mada’s consultant.
3. Attend a meeting with the curriculum outline developer and the project team to discuss the content of the curriculum,
4. Conduct pre and post-tests (provided by Mada) to evaluate the capabilities of the participants and to monitor their progress following the training sessions,
5. Monitor the attendance of participants and report any issues or drop-outs to Mada’s focal point,
6. Provide periodic reports (template provided by Mada) to Mada’s focal point on progress, attendance, challenges, successes, and next steps,
7. At the end of each training cycle (group), provide Mada’s Project Manager with a final report (template provided by Mada) that includes recommendations on further support needed and specific areas of focus required for the skills development of the participants,
8. Identify farmers' challenges and advise them on appropriate solutions based on test results, with a focus on farmers who are not improving significantly.

The curriculum developed might include but not limited the following chapters:

1. Soil preparation and fertility management for vegetable and fruit tree cultivation,
2. Seed selection (i.e. seeds varieties, rootstock, scion selection, etc.), planting and transplanting techniques,
3. Crop rotation and intercropping techniques,
4. Irrigation and water management practices,
5. Nutrient management and fertilization techniques,
6. Disease and pest identification for vegetables and fruit trees,
7. Integrated Pest management Strategies for vegetables and fruit trees,
8. Pruning and training methods for fruit trees,
9. Harvest and post-harvest handling practices,
10. Sustainable farming practices and environmental considerations.

The selected trainers will deliver the above-mentioned training topics and work closely with the farmers in order to create a healthy training environment while using interactive approaches and provide individual support when necessary. Furthermore, Mada’s team will work in close cooperation with the selected trainers in order to ensure that trainings are adequately delivered.

Minimum Qualification and Experience

• Degree in agriculture, plant production or relevant fields,
• 3 to 4 years of experience in delivering similar trainings,
• Demonstrated experience in Good Agricultural Practices,
• Time management, good organizational and communication skills, ability to be flexible,
• Strong interpersonal, reporting and facilitation skills

Time Frame/Duration

The training is constituted of 10 sessions per group (theoretical and practical 3 or 4 sessions per week / maximum 3 weeks per cycle). The selected trainers are expected to start delivering the training in November 2023 for 8 groups located in Akkar (Hrar, Ain Dahab, Daouret Akkar, Qabait.