Mucho Mangoes works with rural smallholder farmers. This project empower them to mass produce better quality mangoes, then provide a ready, reliable market for their produce by buying their mangoes at a good price and selling to oversees clients at competitive prices.
To equip the 21st Century rural smallholder farmer in order to optimize production, it was discovered that rural farming populations have challenges in accessing training sites, affording the cost of training, and creating time for a new skill.
This project has setup mobile ICT centres which provided a 2 month training to rural farming populations on a 2 hour per day model (8:30-10:30,10:30-12:30, Break ,2-4,4-6pm). The cost of training was cut down by ensuring that the project is located within the village or administrative location and thus participants hardly spend extra money on transport and other related costs.
Participation is drawn from the farming community but includes women and Youth. The training program is free and is provided after undergoing another 3 days to one week training on Horticultural Crops Pre and Post Harvest Handling skills and Crop Husbandry, which is also free. Every participant interested in getting a certificate pays a fee of Kenya shillings 500 ( USD 5) for each training program. With supportt from the Fire Africa Grant, we intend to reach 400 farmers with our training program.
After graduating from the training, participants have access to a computer lab which is set at Mucho Mango offices in Taveta town, with internet facilities where they can access the internet and do online research, sells, and access online agricultural materials and further training.