Trainer for Water Management for Smallholder Farmers

Mada Association is seeking qualified Trainer for Water Management to provide training to six groups of smallholder farmers in Akkar under the GFFO-funded project ‘Strengthening local climate-sensitive and universal WASH capacities using and disseminating the Green Humanitarian Aid approach, implemented by Mada Association in partnership with arche nova.

The project targets vulnerable communities and stakeholders with inclusive WASH services and capacity building that consider the impacts of climate and environmental risks, to ensure they can prepare for, anticipate and provide humanitarian assistance in response to extreme weather events.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

The Trainer selected will deliver training sessions to six groups of small-holder farmers located in Akkar (Daoura, Akkar Atika, and Mechmech).

Main tasks:

1. Review the available PowerPoint presentations and adjust as needed.
2. Delivering 4 training sessions (3 theoretical and 1 practical) for each group. Each session is equivalent to 3 hours (20-minute break included). The training material is provided by Mada as power point presentations in Arabic.

• The three theoretical sessions will be conducted at a venue, and the trainer will facilitate the practical session at one of the farmer plots located in Akkar. Mada will be responsible for identifying the venue and the farmer’s plots.
• The sessions will be scheduled to take place during working days, with two sessions occurring in the same week, spanning two consecutive weeks for each group.

3. Conduct pre and post-tests (template provided by Mada) to monitor participants’ progress following the training.
4. Monitor the attendance of participants and report any issues or dropouts to Mada’s focal point.
5. At the end of the training sessions, provide Mada’s Project Manager with a final report (template provided by Mada) that includes progress of farmers knowledge, attendance, challenges, % of improvements of knowledge, recommendations on further support needed and specific areas of focus required for the skills development of the participants.

The training materials include the following topics:

Session Topic

Session sub topics

Session 1 -  Theoretical

Introduction to Climate Change and Agriculture

-Identifying and understanding the various climate-related risks affecting farmers in the local context.

-Analyzing the impact of changing weather patterns on crop yields and agricultural practices.

Introduction to Water Management

-Importance of efficient water management in agriculture.

-Introduction to soil-plant-climate-water relationships.

Irrigation Methods

-Overview of different irrigation methods (surface, subsurface, drip, sprinkler, etc.).

-Advantages and disadvantages of each irrigation type.

-Matching irrigation methods to soil types.

Crop Water Requirements

-Understanding the water needs of different crops.

Session 2 – Theoretical

Water Management Techniques

-Drip irrigation design and calculation.

-Rainwater harvesting and conservation.

Climate-Smart Farming Practices

-Integrating climate-smart agriculture techniques.

Practical Exercise

-Provide farm scenarios with specific crops and soil types. Task participants with creating a detailed irrigation plan considering the farm layout and irrigation needs of each crop.

Session 3 – Theoretical

Soil Health and Moisture Conservation

-Implementing soil conservation practices (cover crops, tillage and non-tillage, and mulching for moisture retention).

Resource-Efficient Farming

-Efficient use of resources (water, fertilizers, etc.).

Introduction to fertigation (integrating fertilization with irrigation).

-Practical implementation and equipment used in fertigation.

Adaptive Management Strategies

-Developing adaptive strategies for changing climate conditions.

-Early warning systems for extreme weather events.

Practical Exercise

-Present participants with different climate scenarios. Have them develop adaptive management strategies tailored to each scenario.

Session 4 – Practical

Practical Session

The practical session will be conducted at one of the farmer plots. The practical session aims to reinforce theoretical knowledge, facilitate hands-on application of acquired skills from the theoretical sessions and guide participants through the applications, installation and maintenance of a drip irrigation system.

The selected Trainer will deliver the above-mentioned training topics and work closely with the farmers 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 Trainer to ensure that training topics are adequately delivered.

Minimum Qualification and Experience

• Degree in agriculture, plant production or relevant fields,
• 3 to 4 years of experience in delivering similar training,
• Demonstrated experience in Water Management,
• Demonstrated theoretical and practical experience in the impacts of climate change on agriculture and in mitigation and adaptation.
• Time management, good organizational and communication skills, ability to be flexible,
• Strong interpersonal, reporting and facilitation skills.

Time Frame/Duration

The overall mission includes the delivery of 24 training sessions to the six groups of smallholder farmers (18 theoretical and 6 practical). The selected Trainer is expected to start the delivery of the training sessions in early January 2026 and be completed by April 2026 for the 6 groups of farmers.