In April 2018, recipients of the Africa Lead/Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Non-state Actors Coalition (CNC) Small Grants Program began activities to strengthen NSA networks aligned to CAADP to improve citizen engagement in key national food security priorities. One grantee, Africa Agribusiness Academy (AAA), held its first stakeholders meeting on 6 June 2018 at Qaribu Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. The purpose of the meeting was sensitizing agribusinesses on CAADP principles, processes, and framework. The theme of the meeting was fostering organized and vibrant agro-based SMEs in Kenya for sustained entrepreneurship. Josephine Love, Kenya Focal Point for CAADP, AAA members, and representatives from Africa Lead, CNC and the Agricultural Council of Kenya (AgCK) attended.
“How do we bring our SMEs together to become legitimate businesses to inform and influence change at the country level?” the facilitator asked participants before explaining the CAADP process. After learning about the history of CAADP, participants inquired about intra-regional trade language in the framework and the status of Kenya and Tanzania towards meeting CADDP targets. The CAADP Focal Point followed by describing mutual accountability, which steered group discussions on how agro-based SME’s could align their operations to CAADP.
Africa Lead will continue providing grants management and technical support to AAA’s upcoming grant activity on identifying and mapping agro-based SMEs in Kenya.