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Welcome to RECODA

RECODA is a local NGO founded in Tanzania in 2000 with the aim of bridging the technology gap in community development through research, consultancy, capacity building and facilitation of community-based projects. The organization aims at making food insecurity and poverty to be history in Tanzania and other Sub-Saharan countries which are poor because of agriculture which is the main source of livelihood for 80% of the population has very low production and rely on subsistence farming due to lack of a reliable extension approach for technology transfer to rural communities. RECODA expect to fulfill that goal in collaboration with other actors in rural/community development through the application of new extension approach called RIPAT (Rural Initiatives for Participatory Agricultural Transformation) which will tackle the problem of low production and inadequate development of crop value chains especially post harvesting handlings (storage, value additional/processing, utilization and marketing).

Words from the Executive Director

Research and Development (RD) Programs

Unlike other many local NGOs dealing with community development and relief services; RECODA is among few NGOs dealing with Research and Development. Community Economic Projects earmarked for the improvement of livelihoods and resilience of small scale farmers are designed in a systematic and organized manner in such a way baseline data are collected together with monitoring/evaluation data which upon carrying out end of project or impact evaluation enables scientific qualification and quantification of the project performance (impact).

Also various action research are carried out in the due course of project implementation which uncover practical solutions through progressive problem solving activities intended to improve various practices and address issues performed by a groups/individual farmers. RECODA collaborates with other Research institutions within and outside Tanzania i.e. Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Selian Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Ilonga Agricultural Research Institution (IARI), Rockwool Foundation (RF) and McKnight Foundation.

RECODA ACADEMY

RECODA Academy targets to develop social entrepreneurs and provide trainings in rural (community) economic development facilitation skills so that other actors can establish and/or implement RIPAT minded projects. Social entrepreneurship in this context refers to innovativeness in filling a certain link/gap/s in the crop value chain or start agricultural related business with techniques to find solutions to small scale farmers’ problems aiming not profit alone but to take into account a positive return to society/small scale farmers.Capacity building on the establishment and/or facilitation of RIPAT like minded projects goes hand in hand with the instilling the spirit and skills of social entrepreneurship. Therefore the RECODA Academy targets two categories of candidates:

1. Fresh graduates from courses related with agricultural and rural/community development

2. Super farmers and Extension officers under a certain ongoing project

Fresh Graduates

As a Research and Development organization; what can RECODA do differently to complement to Universities and government efforts in ensuring employment of the graduates? Mainly RECODA Academy aims to answer ‘why’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ final year students and fresh graduates from courses related to agricultural and Rural/community development can be practically oriented and equipped with different skills, experiences and confidence infacilitating community economic development projects geared towards the improvement of livelihoods and resilience of rural communities (small scale farmers). The academy is one of its own kinds as it offers tailor-made courses whereby topics with related objectives, time frame (course duration); training materials and outputs are discussed. Many graduates who are full of valuable theories are in need of appropriate field practical orientation so that they can believe and stick in their profession, become productive to themselves & immediate family and then at the nation at large. It is frustrating fora family which has spent most of their resources to educate their children who though they have graduated they cannot tap abundant opportunities and secure reliable employment! RECODA Academy has the answer for that.

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More about fresh graduate course

Super Farmers

Formation of sub-committees and SUPER FARMERS working with Extension Officers

There is always a deliberate effort totrain farmers who can train others under the training of trainers (ToT) approach and these ensure availability of local based experts (field auxiliaries/ super farmers/ paraprofessionals) in the community. The process starts with the establishment of sub-committees and selecting technology- and spreading super-farmers.

1. Formation of sub-committees

RIPAT projects include several technologies and have a membership of 30 – 35 members per groups hence to enhance success and impact, some of the group tasks are allocated to sub-committees. Once the group has acquired an adequate group field, the members are trained in differenttechnologies based on the basket of options (crop / animal / VSLA etc.. Most of the training is practical – learning by doing; but background theories are provided to enable the participants tounderstand the underlying principles of the technology. After the initial training sessions, the sub-committees are formed, each consisting of four or five farmers with a special interest in the technology in question. Sub-committees are selected based on the criteria explained in RIPAT Manual (page 71), where also their roles and leadership are explained.