Effectiveness of the volunteer farmer-trainer approach in dissemination of livestock feed technologies: a survey of farmer trainers in Kenya

This report presents the results of a study that aims to determine the effectiveness of the volunteer farmer - trainer approach in the dissemination of feed technologies in the East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) Pro ject . The starting point of this study is in the recognition that public sector extension services are no longer able to provide small - scale farmers with adequate extension services. As a result, new approaches and mechanisms are being developed to fill th e gap. One such approach that is being used by the EADD project is the volunteer farmer - trainer approach (VFTA) . It is a form of farmer - to - farmer extension where volunteer farmers are recruited, trained and they in turn train other farmers on improved feed technologies. Although this approach has been in use in the EADD project since its inception in 2008, not much is understood about its effectiveness ; hence this study, which examined volunteer farmer - trainers ’ perceptions, motivations, dissemination activ ities, competence and the challenges they face as they go about their training and dissemination activities. The study was undertaken in the Central and Rift Valley regions of Kenya. A total of 99 volunteer farmer trainers (VFTs) from seven EADD sites (hub s) were interviewed. The sites were Mweiga, Olkalou, Muki, Kipkaren, Kabiyet, Cheptalal and Longisa. Findings from the study show that VF T s have served an average of 19 months and train an average of 54 farmers per month. A m ajority of them undertake thei r activities by foot (94%), followed by 5 4 % who use hired motorcycle s and public transport and 36% use their own bicycles. They cover an average of five villages outside their own. VFTs use various means of mobilizing farmers for their training sessions wi th the most popular methods being through their dairy management group (DMG) leaders and the use of mobile phones. Popular venues for training sessions are farmer trainee homestead s used by 96% of VFTs , followed by VFTs own homestead s at 93% and demonstrat ion sites that are not at the VFT’s homestead at 80%

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