March 1-15 saw a number of FED activities ranging from an ambassadorial visit to the rolling out of Enterprise Development Training.
On March 13th (Liberian Decoration Day) Deborah Malac, US Ambassador for Liberia visited two FED supported sites, her first visit was to Sangai Farm where farmer Bill Tolbert talked the ambassador through some of the technicalities and challenges in the management of peri-urban vegetable crops and showcased the FED funded drip-irrigation which is already assisting in yield and crop quality improvement. The ambassador proceeded to Booker T. Washington Institute where Ms. Malac viewed the USAID supported ICT and internet connectivity facility. During her visit Ms. Malac expressed appreciation at both FED sites after engaging with project staff and beneficiaries alike, the ambassador spoke to staff members and students who highlighted key activities and explained how USAID support had benefited them.
Between March1-15 130 pepper seedlings were transplanted at the MOA demonstration site in Kakata, Margibi County.
The Goat Pass-on Scheme memorandum of understanding signings have been finalized with participating Lead Farmer Goat Producers in Nimba, Lofa, and Bong Counties.
The Enterprise Development team has commenced the Financial Management and Organizational Strengthening Training with three groups in Lofa and Nimba Counties and it continues in Bong and Grand Bassa March 15-29.
A forum was held in Monrovia around developing a national diploma curriculum for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions on agriculture. The three day forum started on February 27 and ended on March 1, 2013. Alongside the other partners FED’s technical expertise in human capacity building and technical agriculture based educational recommendations the forum was to discuss a way forward in the development of a competency based national curriculum in agriculture at post-secondary level taking into account international best practices that will respond to the skill needs of the employment sector.