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TRAINING, PRODUCTION, RESEARCH & DEVELOPPEMENT
IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
TRAINING PROGRAMS
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
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PRESENTATION OF SONGHAI TRAINING
I. SONGHAI TRAINING: MISSION VISION.
A. Mission
Faced with the many challenges and problems of present days (environmental, demographic, poverty ...), promoters of Songhai decided to get into a proactive vision of a transformative organization of developing companies. Songhai has initiated a unique example of functional training system based on the know-how transmitted by masters who truly imbibe moral, intellectual and spiritual dimensions of the society. For several years it has invested to produce a critical mass of men and women equipped with a new type of moral, organizational and technical capacities. It is a new body of human resources, transformed men and women with a new entrepreneurial culture.
It is to restore the concept of " Mentor - Mentee " all its content, the "know- how " whereby people learn to change their mindsets, where men and women are faced with their responsibilities, where they learn to be involved in their development, real entrepreneurs -creators with facilitators and leaders of the entrepreneurial space. In so doing, Songhaï has created the basis for a functional, human, technical and economic rooting for the entrepreneurial culture in Africa and around the world.
This new type of man is a combination of knowledge, personal skills and know -how, is illustrated in the diagram below.
B. Vision
The Songhai training therefore covers both human development (awakening to self-confidence, responsibility, creativity, risk-taking to support oneself, openness to others) and economic development (agriculture, livestock, fish-farming, renewable energy, agribusiness, appropriate technologies), forming a sustainable integrated agricultural system. It leads to the incubation of human resources with a legal, technical, organizational and managerial authority. This system of training helps the youths to be in the driver’s seat, endowed with functional capacities for creation and management of viable and competitive agricultural enterprises.
They have at their disposal a package of Professionals that makes them competitive and versatile.
They can be classified into three categories:
1. The Professionals: (versatile technicians able to master production gestures everywhere);
2. Farm-managers: who can mobilize and manage human, financial, technological and material resources to create goods and services that meet the needs and desires of the community;
3. Inventive and creative entrepreneurs: with reflex and entrepreneurial culture to channel and transform the opportunities available to them.
II. PEDAGOGY OF TRAINING
This pedagogy is rooted in ancient wisdom that can be the credo of Songhai training:
" Go to the people, live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Plan with them. Built on what they have. Teach by showing. Learn by doing. Do not conform, but transform. Do not relieve but release. And when with the best leaders, the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say we have done it ourselves." Lao Tsu, founder of the Tao philosophy, 600 BC.
Specifically, the pedagogical training involves two actors:
1. The learner who has a history, a personality, a project to consider and
2. The mentor who is both a producer, a trainer who knows his business, carrying the entrepreneurial spirit and passion.
The incubation of the learning process through:
- "Do, that is the example, start from the action" of the master / mentor
- " make do "
- " do with "
- "Let gradually the trainee do" with the support of the mentor in practical in micro-enterprises (industrial park).
One goes from the action with questioning, explanation, Professionals and theorizing that comes after.
This process of transferring skills is based on tools such as:
- Micro-enterprises (industrial park)
- Modules
- Research devices
- Micro-projects articulating their vision of setting up
- Framework of seniors as part of inspiration.
III. THE TRAINING FRAMEWORK
The incubation framework established by Songhai to bring out three categories of a new type of men and women includes:
· The entrepreneurial framework: it includes:
- The technological park where new ideas and techniques are designed, developed, shared and contextualized and
- The industrial park where the techniques and ideas are transformed into companies and many types of activities, grouped together to produce a synergy and integration.
The technological Park and the Industrial Park /production platform are real "spaces" of incubation of new skills. We call them the components of the incubation "space".
- Songhai trainers: they are teachers (mentors) who truly imbibe moral, spiritual and intellectual dimensions of the society and transmit the "know how" to trainees. They are the true leaders and leaders of the entrepreneurial space.
· The living environment: it includes:
- Boarding (hostels and canteens, etc.). This comes in fostering the entrepreneurial park. They are places of learning the expression of community life and the implementation of human values (spiritual, moral, social, etc.) that Songhai promotes. Hostel life helps the trainee to follow the principles of life that the entrepreneur faces in his/her business.
In summary, the hostel and canteen are learning elements of life ethic, better living and to create a real social human ascent.
- The primary Health-care: The clean living environment, food and Sick-bay: it helps the learner to prevent diseases. It ensures the well-being of the trainee therefore directs his/her behavior and assists him/her in first-aid if necessary.
· The framework for Leisure: Living as a team and accepting one another is in the structure of recreation and games. Recreational areas are a means of expression of talents other than agricultural and cultural diversity that galvanize business life of the learner on boarding. It is also a change of activity which allows the learner to ventilate his mind and better prepare to absorb more.
· The administrative framework: it is the guarantor for integrity (the refusal to compromise) and responsibility. It provides policy guidance and oversees the implementation of programs and training activities following the mission of Songhaï.
· The research framework and Professionals: lectures, conferences, screenings of videos that convey ideas aligned with our philosophy and library, provide support to the teacher and the learner to deepen their knowledge through confrontation of the practice on the ground compared to the theoretical data for selective absorption of knowledge.
IV. WHO IS ELLIGIBLE FOR SONGHAI TRAINING?
The Songhai training is aimed at men and women wishing to become:
1. Professionals: versatile technicians, able to master production gestures everywhere.
- 2 and half years (18 months + 12 months): open to men and women from 18 to 35 years old, with no or little agricultural background. It is free for Beninese who are subjected to a selection via testing.
- 6 to 18 months: paid training, open to applicants aged 18 years old or over and of any nationality (see fee schedule below).
2. Farm-managers: able to mobilize and manage human, financial and technological material resources to create goods and services that meet the needs and desires of the community. 6 months - open to the public. (See fees below).
3. Inventive and creative entrepreneurs with reflex and entrepreneurial culture to channel and transform the possibilities within their reach.
- Program of inspiration: two weeks
- Entrepreneurial capacity-building: 1 to 3 months - open to the public. (See fees below).
Others: Students of agricultural colleges and universities can apply for internships and writing essays.
1 to 6 months - The duration is determined according to defined objectives.
V. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SONGHAI TRAINING
· Openness to adhere gradually to the development vision of Songhai: personal transformation
· Ambition for his/her life and for the development of his/her community
· Openness and ability to personal change
· Demonstration of awakening, innovation and curiosity
VI. PROFILE OF SONGHAI GRADUATE
Individuals trained at Songhai are:
· The Professionals: (versatile technicians, able to master production gestures everywhere);
· The farm managers: who can mobilize and manage physical, human, financial resources and technology to create goods and services that meet the needs and desires of the community;
· Inventive and creative entrepreneurs: with reflex and entrepreneurial culture to channel and transform the possibilities within his/her reach.
They are able to:
· Develop their setting-up plans taking into account the socio-economic context
· Create and manage their business: develop a clear vision of their future and their context
· Analyze their farm, their environment
· Disseminate their skills and knowledge from their activities
· Lead a team or a cooperative that can be applied in their community
· Train rural world around them for a socio- economic dynamism and impact their environment.
OUR OFFERS:
· Crop production:
o Garden / gardening (carrots, lettuce, other...)
o Compost / RCW
o Agroforestry (grafting, forestry, nurseries, flower production)
o Food crops (rice, maize, soybean, cassava , etc.).
o Mushrooms
· Animal Husbandry:
o Poultry: Laying hens, broilers, water poultry (ducks, geese), turkeys and guinea fowls, quails, improved chickens
o Mammals: Pigs, Grass cutters, rabbits, cattle, sheep, goats
o Animal Nutrition
· Fish farming: Production in concrete & earthen ponds and floating cages
* Artificial Insemination
· Food processing:
o Meat processing (meat and fish)
o Pastry (cookies, cake, sandwich, etc)
o Production of juice, syrup & jams
o Production of soya milk & yogurt
· Handicraft (food + cosmetics):
o Drying (gari, fruits, vegetables)
o Production of palm oil
o Soap (toilet, laundry, medicated ointments)
o Steaming rice production of soybean oil
· Renewable Energies :
o Biogas
o Solar
o Gasifier
o Bio fuel (Jatropha oil)
o Recycling of plastic
· New technologies:
o Techniques of film mulch irrigation
o EM (effective microorganisms) and biological control
o Ceramics (making water filter, terracotta brick, clay pavers, etc)
CONTENT OF OUR OFFERS
· Crop production:
- Understand and master the techniques of organic agricultural production
- Master the different techniques of organic fertilizers, soil biology (compost, soil microorganisms, EM technology, development of structures of soil, green manure, RCW)
- Water Management: Irrigation
- Learn about carrying out activities for the cultivation of different tillage and planting (making beds and nurseries, manure application, tillage, planting / maintenance, fight against, Adventists)
- Master the techniques of mulching, rotation and grafting
- Know and master the various methods of biological control against predators and parasites adapted to tropical crops
- Learn agricultural mechanization / use of agricultural machinery
· Animal husbandry:
- Mastering the cycle of production and management of each specy (from production to processing)
- Recognize and select different breeds taking into account the objectives of production
- Master the reproductive cycle (recognize each sex, the conditions for the reproduction, sex ratio, etc.)
- Master the power of each animal species
- Know how to identify and prevent / treat various diseases for each specy (prophylaxis plan ) use EMs to prevent diseases
- Be able to manage a livestock: define the objectives of production, designing and defining an investment plan , record the results, analysis and decision making
· Fish farming:
- Develop and maintain the facilities of fishery (concrete pond, lake, earthen pond)
- Master production cycles of tilapia, carp, catfish (from production to processing )
- Water quality
- Know the different stages of growth for each species and its breeding
- Master the reproductive cycle (recognize each sex, the conditions for the reproduction, sex ratio, etc.)
- Master fish feed formulation by using local resources (earthworms, insect larvae, Azolla)
- Master the technical and economic management of a fishery: managing a fish production unit until the sale of fish: set production targets, record and analyze the results.
· Animal Nutrition:
- Develop cost feedstuffs for fish, poultry and other farm animals
- Know the need for nutrients for each specie
- Understand the principles of nutrition
- Know the nutritional value of raw materials and conditions of use
- Master the methods of formulating Feed and use patterns
- Know how to manage stocks of raw materials (to ensure good conservation )
· Agribusiness:
- Know the equipment and maintenance
- Know the raw materials (choice and roles)
- Learn and master quality control and the process of production of various food products (juice, syrup, jam, soy milk, yogurt, pastries, meats, dried fruits and vegetables)
- Learn and master packaging and storage / preservation of finished products
- Understand the technical and economic management of a food processing unit (from production to sale: trading account, profit, etc.)
· Handicraft:
- Know the equipment and maintenance
- Know the raw materials (choice and roles)
- Learn and master quality control and production process of different products (soaps, palm oil, gari / improved tapioca, soya oil , parboiled rice )
- Learn and master packaging and storage / preservation of finished products
- Understand the technical and economic management of a handicraft unit (from production to sale: trading account, profit, etc.)
· Renewable energy:
- Master bio energy conversion in organic waste (animal and plant ) fuel energy (biogas) and organic fertilizer ( effluent)
- Using biogas as cooking energy, internal combustion of engines, refrigeration, etc.
- Learn and master the setting up, production, use and management of different energies
- Solar, gasifier, biofuels, etc.)
- Learn and master the techniques for recycling and processing of plastics
- Learn and master the techniques of management of a renewable energy unit (the introduction to performance)
· NTIC:
- Computer Maintenance & Electronics
- Business I (generalities about computers, typing, Windows, Word, Excel)
- Office II (generalities on computers, typing, Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, PageMaker, Photoshop, Scanning, printing, lamination, photocopying).