AgrarKontakte International (AKI) e.V. organized an event on 19th of April, where the 1st cohort from 2021 and the 2nd cohort from 2022 of the German-African Trainee Program met and exchanged experiences. Nine representatives of the 1st cohort held a six-hour discussion with the 2nd cohort. The trainees of the year 2021 reported their expectations, which they had before they came to Germany and shared their firsthand experiences they gained during the traineeship.

The objective of the meeting was to create an open platform for exchange talks and discussion. The topics importance of language, communication channels, professional report writing, time management, agriculture and farm machineries in Germany, work ethics, conflict management, behavior towards the guest family, culture and life in southern Germany were presented by the trainees of the year 2021.

The trainees comment after the exchange:

“My recommendation to the second cohorts: It is a golden opportunity for you to be in Germany. Make the best out of the six-months training: Try to learn as much as you can and the most importantly discipline is the key in all areas”- Judith Ondeke Cohort 2021

 “Everything we do and plan for is never easy. Living with a new family is nice and difficult at the same time, but due to the drive for goal achievements, attitude, and patience all challenges can be sorted out”- Moses Jamwa Cohort 2021

 “During this meeting all important issues and challenges were clearly addressed, and all open questions were clarified. The exchange meeting was successful and encouraged me a lot. I am glad about the meeting, and I am looking forward to starting my traineeship and work in southern Germany soon. Thank you”- Rose Githae cohort 2022

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Cohort 1 members for taking time to come and share their experiences and exposures in Germany with us. Their experiences gave us an idea of what to expect in Germany”- Peter Makau cohort 2022.

During the Q&A session, all questions were discussed openly. The two groups shared a cake together as a symbolic start of a common journey for working together and building an alumni network. Both groups recommend a frequent meeting between them to guide each other and to enhance the growth of the German-African Trainee Program alumni movement as well.

The trainees of 2022 are coming to Germany on the 6th of May for their six-month traineeship and are curious to learn more about agricultural, cultural and life in southern Germany.

The traineeship program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as part of the global project "Green Innovation Centres in the Agro-Food Sector (GIAE)" projects. The aim of the project is to increase the income of smallholder farms, enhance employment and the regional supply of food in the rural target regions of Africa through innovations in the agricultural and food sector. Within this framework, AgrarKontakte International (AKI) e.V. has been granted to implement the traineeship program with Kenya since 2019.