Descriptions for our Clients and corresponding Assignments/Projects
Assignment: Technical assistance to contract farming schemes and management advisory for private sector partners in Kenya
Description: The Rural Youth Employment (RYE) project, which forms part of GIZ’s Agri-Jobs 4 Youth initiative in Kenya, aims at achievement of the following objectives: (1) Equitable access to inputs, services and markets for agri-food businesses; and (2) Start-up promotion and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) business growth for employment creation in the agri-food sector. To achieve these objectives, MMA is contracted TO provide coaching and (where necessary) advisory services to three private sector partners namely Chicken Basket Limited (CBL), Mountain Berean Company (MBC) and Equatorial Hortifresh Limited (EHL) that are already experienced in sourcing from smallholder farmers through informal contracting. All three have the potential to expand their supplier base through inclusive contract farming (ICF) but need to consolidate their procurement systems and consolidate their companies’ business models. While doing so, further jobs can be created.
As process facilitator, MMA coach the development of joint solutions owned by the partner companies and their supplier networks as partners in business and provide tailor-made advisory services for strategic CF business model development, the design of CF management systems as well as the companies’ overall business models and operation management as far as required. MMA strategy is to focus more on coaching the partners by accompanying them to analyse their CF and overall business models and capacity development needs themselves. MMA feels this will help them better understand their context, their need to change, thus enabling them to make informed decisions, achieve ownership of the solutions, their business models and finally lead to the sustainability of the changes they consider necessary and feasible.
As early as 2007, MMA developed training and advisory approaches and contents on contract farming (CF). Edmond who is a lead coach for this project is also a GiZ certified trainer and coach for Inclusive Contract Farming and an active member of the Community of Practice on CF (CoP CF) of GIZ’s Sector Network for Rural Development Africa (SNRD Africa)
Time: February 2022 – June 2023
G2G Project
Description: The governments of Tanzania and the Kingdom of the Netherlands have mutually agreed to develop the potato industry of Tanzania. Based on this agreement the Dutch government is supporting the developing of potato industry in Tanzania through a capacity building project called Government-to-Government (G2G) aimed at supporting Tanzania Ministry of Agriculture agencies that are key in the regulation of the industry namely TOSCI, TPHPA and TARI. MMA coordinates the capacity building activities and advanced yield trials (AYTs) in Tanzania on behalf of the Dutch Government
Time: February 2018 – April 2023
Kenya
Assignment: Horticultural scoping study for Kenya: Sustainable sourcing of fresh produce from Kenya
Description: The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) promotes and supports continuous inclusive and sustainable development of the horticulture industry. In 2016 MMA supported EKN to conduct a scoping study for sourcing horticultural fresh produce from Kenya for EU market, providing businesses in the Netherlands and Kenya with a reliable overview of possibilities for investments in both sourcing and marketing of fruits and vegetables from Kenya and provides specific advice and a checklist for traders/investors and farmers on regulations, required permits and certifications. Between July 2021 and March 2022, MMA conducted a study to update the 2016 report and emphasizing more on sustainable and responsible sourcing and marketing of fresh produce from Kenya to EU and UK markets. Both studies in 2016 and 2021/22 provided two independent reports, one focusing on the supply side (Kenya) and the other focusing on the demand side (EU and UK).
In the 2021/22 updated study Mr. Edmond J. Ringo the CEO of Match Maker Associates Limited (MMA) led a team of five consultants; Edmond, Professor Francis Wambalaba, MMA Associate Consultant and the founder and research associate of the Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) Centre at the United States International University – Africa (USIU - Africa) in Nairobi Kenya and Mr. Kelly MMA Associate Consultant based in Nairobi Kenya Matayian focussed on the supply side report, whereas Mr. Lex van Boeckel, MMA Associate Consultant based in France focused on the demand side report.
Time: July 2021 – March 2022
Tanzania
Assignment: Tanzania poultry market analysis and consumer behaviour demonstrating added value to local production Tanzania.
Description: The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) promotes and supports continuous inclusive and sustainable development of the poultry industry. Tanzania is endowed with abundant natural resources , which includes land , forage and livestock resources base . The poultry subsector is comprised of a large proportion of indigenous chickens, dual-purpose chickens and exotic (layers and broilers) chicken. The sector has great potential for investment considering the country boasts 38.5 million local chicken, 40.6 million layers and broilers and a growing population of dual-purpose chickens. This sector value chain offers lots of investment opportunities. This study offered up-to date information about poultry and poultry products in line with consumer preferences and behaviour , market trends and value addition / processing in Tanzania.
The study also intended to provide recommendations on branding and promotion of consumption of poultry and poultry products to poultry stakeholders.
Mr. Edmond J. Ringo of Match Maker Associates Limited (MMA) and Professor Faustin
P. Lekule, Agriculture Livestock Associate Consultant, conducted the study and prepared the report. MMA consultants Mr. Ibrahim Mtuka and Ms. Josephine Mlay collected and undertook preliminary analysis of primary data. Mrs. Carley Mwenda supported the team in the report layout design and typesetting.
Time: November 2019 – September 2020
Assignment: Edmond is a permanent representative of Kampani on the Board of Directors of East Africa Fruit Company (EAFC), a prospective Kampani portfolio/investee Company.
Description: Kampani is a pioneering way to fight poverty and promote development. As a social impact investor, Kampani wants to durably improve the quality of life of smallholder farmers. It invests in businesses of producer organisations of smallholder farmers in the South. The investment targets can be businesses or cooperatives which produce, process, trade and/or market agro supply, farming products and their derivatives.
Kampani stands out from other social investors thanks to an audacious combination of strategic choices:
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Investing directly and strengthening the balance sheet of the investee through the use of equity or quasi-equity.
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A long investment horizon of up to 10 years.
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Only in the agro-food value chain.
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Active involvement in the governance of the investee.
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Small investment amounts (100k to 500k euros); add-on investments for successful partnerships can lead to a total investment of up to 1M euros.
By participating in the board meetings, Edmond’s corporate governance role and responsibilities are stipulated in the articles of association of the Company as well as under the appropriate and relevant local company laws.
The Board member’s advisory role (but always non-executive) will also, in consultation with Kampani, include having strategic oversight (especially as it concerns its expansion), looking after the long-term overall health of the Company, and maximising the social impact.
Time: from September 2021 – ongoing
Assignment: Market Systems Assessment of Vegetable Value Chain and Business Development Services in Zanzibar.
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Description: MMA Was assigned to conduct the study in Identifying key business champions and their networks in different horticultural commodities. To identify systemic issues that block the growth and competitiveness of these business champions and to propose business solutions that could trigger private sector providers and other stakeholders to respond.
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Time: Jan 2021-April 2022
Assignment: Fruits and vegetables scoping study for Tanzania: An assessment of current constraints and opportunities for development.
Description: The Agricultural Development and Nutrition teams at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), in collaboration with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in the UK, investigated the potential of vegetable and fruit value chains to increase supply of and strengthen demand for nutritious foods, and increase local and export market opportunities for increased income, especially for women.
Wageningen University and Research (WUR) was assigned to conduct such a study. First, a global scoping study of the horticultural sector in West Africa, East Africa and South Asia was conducted. This Phase I study was based on available literature and secondary data, and resulted in the identification of leverage points for interventions in the food system to promote the production, trade and consumption of fruits and vegetables. These potential leverage points were formulated in general terms only. To test the validity and feasibility of the identified leverage points in specific contexts, deep-dive country studies were conducted in seven countries: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Nigeria and Tanzania. MMA was contracted to undertake the study for Tanzania with support from Edwin van der Maden and Likoko Eunice of Wageningen Economic Research.
Time: December 2020 – June 2021
The Skills for Employment Tanzania programme (SET), managed by Swisscontact is an Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) funded twelve-year skills development programmed that aims at “Enhancing employment possibilities of youth in Tanzania through a sustainable and systemic contribution that address relevance concerning to labour market, quality of trainers and access innovative, demand driven training to involve youth in the Agriculture” and takes into consideration the need to respond to challenges of unemployment and underemployment among the youth in Tanzania, especially women.
Each of the challenges in vocational skills development will be addressed by achieving three outcomes, namely:
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Outcome 1: Enhanced responsiveness, dynamism, and demand-orientation of Tanzanian skills development system relevant to the labour market.
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Outcome 2: Quality of training of vocational trainers is improved by enhancing MVTTC’s capacities in service delivery and management.
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Outcome 3: More youth (aged 15 to 24) can profitably and innovatively get involved in agriculture through improved services of skills providers addressing a demand from both youth and the market.
Within component 1 SET will, among other things, offer assistance in terms of review of labour market reports, validation of findings and dissemination of labour market reports. The assistance will aim at facilitating the review and development of curricular at level NVA level 1 to 3.
Within component 2 SET will, among other things, enhance the quality of training of vocational trainers is improved by enhancing MVTTC’s capacities in service delivery and management.
Within component 3 SET is working with the private and public sectors training providers (TPs) to address several skills need in order to improve employment of youth and young mothers in the agriculture sector.
Match Maker Associates Limited (MMA) is a strategic partner of Swisscontact since procurement of the SET project, throughout inception and baseline phase until capacity building phase for the private and public sectors training providers (TPs) in the context of project component 3.
Time: January 2018 – August 2021
Rwanda
MMA gave technical support to develop a winning proposal for CARE Rwanda and DUHAMIC – ADRI to receive funds from AFR - the proposal title: Promote Financial Inclusion for Smallholder Farmers (Women) organized into VSL groups.
Time: March 2017
Uganda
Assignment: Developing business case aiming at positioning Small Farmer Group Associations as Value Chain Drivers for raising agricultural productivity and improving the food security and farmers’ income in Hoima, Masindi and Kiryandongo districts with four (4) partners whom they have been working together for the past 8 years and posted good results.
Time: October 2015