On May 3, 35 selected trainees arrived in Frankfurt am Main from Nairobi to participate in AKI's trainee program. After their arrival in Germany, they attended a three-day introductory seminar at DEULA Baden-Württemberg GmbH in Kirchheim/Teck from May 3rd to May 5th.

The introductory seminar at DEULA was an important opportunity for the trainees to familiarize themselves with the structure of their upcoming traineeship and become acquainted with the associated tasks. Topics such as keeping a report booklet, intercultural differences between Kenya and Germany, and life in Germany were extensively discussed. In addition, there was a team-building program to promote unity and exchange among the trainees. During the introduction days, the participants also received comprehensive safety training from an employee of the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry, and Horticulture.

On May 5th, an introductory seminar for host families took place at DEULA. In this seminar, the essential documents for the traineeship were discussed, and any open questions were clarified. Subsequently, the trainees were handed over to their host families with whom they will be living during their stay in Germany.

After three weeks on German farms, trainees from Bukura Agricultural College shared their experiences:

Barak Kimutai:

"I am doing my traineeship at Gegenbauer Dairy Farm amidst the vast and productive fields of Rieden Aichstetten. My host family consists of 8 members. The father and mother run the farm and are experts in animal health and production. They speak English, French, good German and every day is a learning day. The farm houses 150 cows of the breeds Holstein, Fleckvieh and Braunvieh. As a para veterinarian, I get to meet many veterinarians who have experience and knowledge in treatment, examination, disease diagnosis, hoof care, insemination, vaccination and numerous activities in the veterinary world. I love the experience and learn many new things."

Patrick Mailu:

"My job started as soon as we arrived home. It was milking time and they invited me to milk with them, which I did. The milking is automated, the cows enter the parlor by themselves, and everyone knows what to do. Mr. Kraft and Mrs. Aanorthe are very free to tell me which buttons to push on the machines. These first work experiences gave me the best hopes of learning a lot here. Today I milk efficiently and operating the milking machine is no problem. I am also familiarizing myself with farm machinery, especially by making concentrated feed and silage. So far, the family has gained a lot of confidence in me, and I am happy here. Thank you, AKI."

Winnie Awuor:

"It is a great opportunity to be on the Böhmer family dairy farm. The family treats me like their own daughter. I work in the cow pens, in the milking parlor, take care of the calves and various other farm activities. I have gained a lot of experience and have adjusted my time management and work pace. Also, the family organizes trips for me on the weekends so that I can learn more about their land and farming. I believe this traineeship will have a positive impact on my career."

Etaan Robert Lokomol:

"This is one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. I was warmly welcomed by the host family. I have really enjoyed it here so far, including the different foods with their great taste. The family keeps pigs and chickens. I have learned new skills in these areas and feel motivated by the family, which allows me to try new things like vaccinations, artificial insemination or injections in sows to increase milk production. I have also learned to sort eggs with the help of a machine. The family has also helped me adapt to the new environment. On weekends they take me out, for example to the forest lake, which is beautiful, and I have enjoyed it there very much. The parents also help me to get to know the language better and to bring my German to a new level. I really love it here and am grateful to be here. Thank you!"

For the third time, the vocational students of Bukura Agricultural School have the unique opportunity to test and apply their skills in their future profession. They can also improve their language skills by being able to communicate directly in the German language environment. The traineeship program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as part of the global project "Green Innovation Centers in the Agro-Food Sector (GIAE)".