Video screenings are helping Kenya’s women farmers to acquire key skills faster.

The initiative is part of a programme dubbed ‘Connect4Change’, which is headed up by the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO) and Anglican Church Development Services (also referred to as ADS-Nyanza).

According to the organisations, the video screening initiative has reached over 1,500 farmers and is being extended across the East African nation.

The programme targets women, in particular, and uses screenings to disseminate information to help women up their farming skills. It also attempts to entice young people into farming.

Subsequently, the partners have set up an information and communications technology (ICT) centre in Kabondo village in Kisumu, where farmers come and watch and learn skills of the trade.

"Video screening is relatively cost effective compared to the conventional classroom training method,” says Vincent Alila, the project coordinator at ADS-Nyanza .

"A 10 minute video clip can summarise a one day training module.

“Farmers can easily learn by seeing. When you use farmers in the clips in demonstrating the practices, fellow farmers learn very fast," Alila added.

Farmers can also replay the videos where they have not understood concepts.

Naomi Achola, a farmer undergoing the video training, has said, “Previously, they would tell us about the new techniques and I would be learning with my ears. But now, I learn with my eyes and I am sure the information will not come off my memory now.”

The project is also linked with market information provider (MFARM) to provide farmers with market information via their mobile phones.

In addition, ADS-Nyanza is also partnering with ‘Text to Change’, a bulk SMS solution provider, to allow ADS-Nyanza to send bulk messages(both text and voice) with technical information to farmers.