Training mission in Sierra Leone

This week, SkillEd is in Sierra Leone for a training mission supporting the Dynamic Agroforestry for Resilience and Prosperity project.

So, what is Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF)? In a nutshell: growing cocoa alongside other crops and trees to create more diverse, regenerative farming systems – with healthier soils, more biodiversity and better opportunities for farmers.

And our part? Making the knowledge needed to put DAF into practice accessible – wherever the learning happens. The goal is to train 200+ lead farmers, field officers, cooperative members and project staff.

The DAF learning app works fully offline and includes 11 practical modules covering everything from plot selection and nurseries to plot design, management and pruning. There are visuals, questions, a bit of gamification – and the full training can even be followed through Krio audio.

Earlier this week, we trained lead farmer groups from Liloma and Lanai in Kenema. Now we’re taking the learning one step further – onto the farms themselves.

Each lead farmer group will get access to a tablet, so the training can happen wherever it makes sense: at home, in a group session, or right there in the field. And there’s a nice milestone at the end: participants who pass the final exam can earn an automated certificate.

Meanwhile, back in the SkillEd platform, we can follow learning progress through detailed learning metrics – helping the project see what’s being learned and where more support might be needed.