PROJECT AFRICADO
Achmea’s HR Business Partner Jacomina Baatje gave Leadership Training at Africado Ltd. in Sanya Juu, Tanzania, in May 2019. This Train-the-Trainer Programme was specially designed by Jacomina for Africado’s ‘farmer-trainers’.
Africado is an agricultural company that grows and exports avocados. The farm is located in north Tanzania at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Africado has provided an alternative cash crop to coffee, the traditional crop of the region. Global price fluctuations have meant that coffee growing has declined because of poor returns. Africado has introduced modern irrigation systems and water harvesting techniques and given small-scale farmers in the neighbouring villages the opportunity to grow a new export crop. Africado has a catchment area of a 200 km radius where over 2,000 small-scale farmers grow avocados. It gives training, finds export markets and creates the opportunity to generate a reliable source of income to avocado farmers. Seven Africado Field Officers train and support the 2,000 farmers.
The Achmea assignment was a train the trainer programme for the seven Field Officers and some office staff. The objective of the Leadership Training was to further build the capacity of the Africado Field Officers. It focused on improving their communication skills and knowledge and management skills, and developing a culture of respect when dealing with farmers.
Jacomina Baatje, HR Business Partner at Achmea Insurance Group:
“I gave a three day course on communications, motivation, dealing with resistance and so on. I met a group of people who were very eager to learn and to exchange experiences. It was heartwarming and very satisfactory to work with such a motivated group. It was a great opportunity to work on my personal development too while giving the people from Africado the tools that they can use to do a better job.”
