STAFF CAPACITY BUILDING

EPTF has been involved in Entrepreneurship development since the year 2000. During this period mechanisms have been developed to evaluate its program progress.  In line with our vision of Empowered Kingdom minded entrepreneurs transforming communities, a staff capacity building involvement was developed in order for the organization to remain competitive and relevant in the market.

Between the 13^th and 15^th June 2011, EPTF staff got an opportunity to be equipped in Agricultural Development, marketing for organizational growth and credit services management.

Aspects of farming as a business, value addition and value chain development were explored under Agricultural Development. This session gave us insights into the world of Agriculture as a business; it is after all the backbone of our economy. We also learned that as a country that is rich in natural resources, we suffer from the curse of plenty. The curse of plenty refers to countries that have more of the world’s resources yet are poor or third world countries. This is because a rural farmer who owns land worth millions of shillings is dependent on relatives who live in the cities. It is also evident that in most cases, the farmer’s agricultural activities such as dairy farming, bee keeping or crop farming are all loss making activities. We learned that Agriculture as an income generating activity should be run as any other business with systems and structures put in place prior to launching.

Under marketing for organizational growth, we learned the importance of re-evaluating our marketing strategies time and again. We were able to understand that all of us are brand ambassadors and should therefore continue to market our products and services.

Business Credit service is an area that has remained relevant to the operations of EPTF. Loan management is therefore a critical area that needs strengthening as we continue to offer this service. The importance of character, capacity, collateral, capital and conditions were emphasized as areas that need constant checking.

Various staff members also had an opportunity to participate in fully sponsored short courses that are in line with their work as well as the Vision & Mission of EPTF.

As we continue to work, we thank God for what we have been able to achieve so far in training, mentoring and business development services. We also pray for grace and ability to apply the valuable information gained during the capacity building process.