Background and objectives of the activity:
The activity is aimed at skilling the farmers’ trainers of trainee of the Apac district, these will work as the champions for the uptake of ICT4Farmers services in the West Nile region.
The training will focus on the understanding and using digital technologies like zoom and WhatsApp that will later be used for more trainings and easy communication. Also to learn will be the ICT4Farmers services which include the Toll Free call Centre and the e-agriculture academy the ICT4Farmers Mobile App and web system.
Farmers represented will be registered and taught how to promote the ICT4Farmers services amongst their fellow farmers and thus act as champions for the services.
| Training Agenda.
THE IVR SERVICES (CALL CENTRE). The toll free call Centre number (0800209003) supports the 5 major languages which include; English (1), Luganda (2), Runyakitara (3), Swahili (4) and Luo (5) the system offers Agricultural support for various value chains namely Animal husbandry, crop husbandry, fisheries and forestry. Coffee related issues are supported in English and Luganda. Therefore, the farmers’ TOTs in Apac will be trained on how the farmers’ call centre works and how to use the call centre services. Other language agriculture experts will be identified those that can speak West Nile languages to be added on the call centre system.
E-Agriculture Academy. E-Agric academy is the mode of delivery of learning and training through digital devices for the farmers. This makes it easy for farmers to learn anytime, anywhere, with few, if any, restrictions. Basically, an e-agriculture academy is a platform for training, learning, or education delivered online through a computer or any other digital device for the smallholder farmer. The farmers will be trained how the e-Agric academy works and how it is a platform for authentic and reliable farming information that is reviewed and approved by the Ministry of agriculture, animal and fisheries. This information is organised into different courses and these courses are available for all people to learn freely. To access the e-agriculture academy one must ensure that they have internet access on their laptops, computer or smartphone and load any web browsers. Type https://academy.unffeict4farmers.org/ and please enter to access the system on their device
ICT4Farmers Mobile App The ICT4Farmers Mobile app provides several services to the farmers and other value chain actors, some of which include Farmers’ profiling, Input and output providers, Market access services, Resource sharing, farmers record management, farm workers and activity management. The mobile app is developed to work on android powered smartphones and is available on the Google Play store. The farmers will be trainned on how to use mobile app to better manage their farming activities and also have access to market, service providers and other services.
Zoom and WhatsApp For effective communication and future trainings and support we shall be having virtual trainings organized for the different farmer groups, these trainings will be done zia zoom, therefore farmers will be training on how to use zoom and also how to use WhatsApp groups to easily communicate but also stay connected to their farmer groups. |
