FARMERS' VOICE RADIO ACADEMY
Farmers’ Voice Radio is transforming the lives of millions of farmers and rural communities through the power of radio. The new Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy can give you and your organisation the skills and tools you need to set up your own Farmers’ Voice Radio project that will raise farmers’ voices and complement your existing work to improve the lives of rural communities.
The first two Farmers’ Voice Radio (FVR) Academy training programmes trained 31 people from across Africa and Asia. Click here to find out more about FVR Academy 2022 and FVR Academy 2023. The next Farmers' Voice Radio Academy programme is scheduled for 2024 and will be targeted at organisations working with smallholder coffee farmers in Latin America. All content will be delivered in Spanish.
The Academy complements our online resources, through:
Online group training
sessions
+
One-to-one online coaching
+
Community of Practice
+
Opportunity
to
apply
for a
start-up
grant
Eligible participants:
Representatives of NGOs/CBOs/farmers’ organisations/radio stations or small international NGOs with an annual turnover of under £250k, who work with coffee, tea and cocoa farmers in the Global South, You must have a mission of empowering rural smallholder communities and have an idea for a Farmers’ Voice Radio project. Individual development practitioners with a relevant focus may also apply. The course is free of charge, but applicants must:
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Be able and willing to commit to around 8 hours of online training plus homework over a two-month period, abide by LYF’s Code of Conduct and respond to feedback requests.
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Have access to an internet enabled device and stable internet connection.
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Be able to participate fully in English or Spanish (for the Latin America Academy)
What you and your organisation will gain from joining the Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy:
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The skills, knowledge and tools to design and implement a Farmers’ Voice Radio programme series in YOUR context.
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Support to develop a Farmers’ Voice Radio proposal that can be pitched to partners and donors.
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Optional membership of a Farmers’ Voice Radio Community of Practice.
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Your profile featured on the Farmers’ Voice Radio website and social media, which could increase networking opportunities and connect you to new partners.
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For successful graduates, the opportunity to apply for a limited number of start-up grants (max £3,000) from The Lorna Young Foundation. This will be a competitive process and will involve the submission of a full project proposal and budget and some basic due diligence.
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A Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy Certificate and social media badge.
To register your interest in the 2024 Spanish-language Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy for organisations based in Latin America, please send us an email so that we can provide further details and include you in our consultation and planning.
Farmers' Voice Radio Academy graduate, Stephen Tolo, from Kajulu Hills Ecovillages in Kenya talks about how participation in the Academy has helped his organistion to engage more effectively with smallholder farmers on regenerative agriculture and why others should consider signing up for this training opportunity.
“After going through the Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy, as a journalist I feel capacitated and the need to have the programme run at our radio station to foster change in the way our community does its farming activities. Better practices will in turn lead to better yields and market access...”
Fatma Mzee, Operations Director of Vox Radio and Farmers' Voice Radio Academy graduate and start-up grant recipient.
“One of the greatest advantages of LYF’s [Farmers' Voice Radio] programme is the ease with which it can be adapted to a variety of contexts, scales and budgets and still have a substantial impact. Once the smallholder group, extension officers and radio presenters have received training, they take ownership of the radio programmes.”
Linda Lisser, Responsible Sourcing Manager, Ringtons
If you would like to sponsor a place on a future Academy programme, making Farmers' Voice Radio skills and knowledge available to even more organisations, please visit the 'Support Us' page to donate now.