Self Help employs a system of farmer to farmer mentoring at grassroots level, as a means of educating and training small-scale African farmers in the improved farming methods and approaches being promoted by the organisation.
As a result of adopting this approach, Self Help has been able to establish a support infrastructure which can train and advise far more farmers than our staff on the ground would otherwise be able to reach.
In each area where Self Help begins its work, the organisation asks local communities to identify a number of motivated, enthusiastic, and committed 'extension' farmers who would be interested in working with the project's staff.
These farmers are then given the necessary training on the different farming methods to be promoted, and are asked to recruit 'copy' or 'follower' farmers who will visit them, and lend occasional assistance with different on-farm activities that the extension farmers are involved in.
The follower farmers get an opportunity to see at first hand the impact of the project interventions, and in the following year are encouraged to adopt the methods and approaches that they have become familiar with, on their own farms.
In many instances the supporting follower farmers receive the necessary 'start up' seed from either the extension farmer whom they have been supporting, or directly from Self Help, on a revolving seed fund basis.
When they begin to adopt the new technologies and approaches on their own farms - they too are encouraged to assist other local 'follower' farmers to join them, and learn about the activities at first hand, so that they too can adopt the same farming activities and methods in the following year.
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