Training Workshop: Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurial Skills Development for Sheep Fattening Stakeholders

Abstract

The International Center for Agricultural Research in collaboration with Ethiopian National Agricultural centers in Menz, Bonga and Doyogena have been engaging youth in collective entrepreneurship via formation of sheep fattening youth groups and cooperatives. Training components on entrepreneurial skills development (ESD) and financial literacy (FL) have been incorporated into the ongoing sheep fattening training programs. Cooperative formation and management (as compared to group formation) is challenging because of low literate levels of the youth, particularly women-only youth groups. Continuous training in tandem with the low literacy levels is vital. Coordination committees, comprising stakeholders of the sheep value chain, organized as Community of Practice (CoP) have partnered with ICARDA to improve vertical and lateral engagements by facilitating the navigation of emerging issues and steer the inclusive youth groups towards market-oriented sheep fattening. Icarda has over the past years periodically organized for trainings on ESD and FL to CoP members to inculcate an entrepreneurship mindset as well as strengthened their knowledge and skills for dissemination of innovations to the emerging entrepreneurs. A total of 45 CoP members (41 male/5 female) across the project sites of Bonga, Menz and Doyogena participated in the trainings over a period of three (3) days.