Background
Access Agriculture has developed a global network of young entrepreneurs (known as Entrepreneurs for Rural Access), who are either individuals or small teams that use a ‘smart projector’ to develop or expand their businesses. A comprehensive account of their diverse experiences can be read in the book Young Changemakers. The smart projectors contain all the Access Agriculture videos available to play off-line, off-grid and off mobile signals. It comes complete with a solar panel unit, batteries and a sound system suitable for up to 150 people – all in one hard case. The projector operates like an off-line version of the Access Agriculture video platform from which videos can be chosen by category or language. This content is regularly updated.
The projector operates like an off-line version of the website with videos being chosen by category or language. This content is regularly updated. Videos about the smart projector can be seen here:
Play smart… with the DCS smart projector
On the road with the smart projector - GADC Uganda
Farmers like videos from other countries
Entrepreneurs for Rural Access - India
Click here for more detailed information about the smart projector
The Young Entrepreneur Challenge Fund empowers women and youth as key drivers of agricultural development by promoting agriculture as a business. Supported by ICT advancements, tools like mobile financial services, social media, and apps help farmers access trusted information to improve their livelihoods.
Access Agriculture, a non-profit organization, provides quality training videos to share practical farming and food processing knowledge globally. Through its Entrepreneurs for Rural Access initiative, individuals or teams can use a "smart projector" to distribute agricultural videos and grow their businesses. Winners of a competitive grant will receive a Digisoft smart projector, leveraging ICT skills to make agroecology and organic farming more appealing to youth and accessible to women.
This project is focussing on equipping secondary school teachers from Lilongwe and Mzimba with Digisoft smart projectors and resources to establish school gardens. In partnership with the Slow Food Movement Malawi, this initiative aims to integrate practical agricultural education into schools and extend its benefits to surrounding communities. By using smart projectors to share Agroecological training videos, teachers will enhance learning, promote sustainable gardening practices, and foster food security within schools and their local areas, creating a lasting impact on education and community.
We are now requesting secondary school teachers in Mzimba and Lilongwe to propose innovative ideas to start a business, or expand their existing services, around the dissemination of agricultural videos using a Digisoft Smart Projector. Click here for information on the smart projector.
Eligibility criteria
Applicants: A team of up to 3 secondary school teachers belonging to the same cluster schools can submit a proposal.
Age: From 18 to 40 years old
Country: Reside in Malawi and belongs to a cluster school in Mzimba North, Mzuzu City and Lilongwe EDM offices.
Language skills: Applicants should have the ability to communicate effectively in English or Chichewa.
School Garden Feasibility: Proposals should highlight access to key resources, including:
A dependable water source, such as a borehole, shallow well, dam or rainwater harvesting system.
Sufficient land, a well-located site with adequate sunlight.
At least 10 metre by 10 metre piece of land owned by the school or with full guarantee to use the land for more than two years
Strategies for involving students and ensuring the garden’s sustainability over time
Motivated teachers who will serve as garden patron/matron
Submission: Through WhatsApp, E-mail, the Education Division Manager’s Office in Mzuzu, the Education Division Manager’s Office in Lilongwe and Nalikule Teachers College in Lilongwe.
Submission Date: The deadline for submission is 31st of January 2025.
Proposal guidelines and deadline
A team of up to 3 teachers with a background in sciences, agriculture or has interest in school gardens can submit a proposal.
Each teacher is permitted to submit and participate in only one proposal.
You need to present the key ideas of your business and school garden proposal as laid out in the submission form.
Scanned applications can be submitted through Email or WhatsApp. Physical submissions in Lilongwe can be submitted at Nalikule College of Education or the Lilongwe Education Division Manager’s office and in Mzimba at the Mzuzu Education Division Manager’s Office
Proposals need to be submitted by 31st of January 2025.
For any clarifications, please first check the FAQ here (this will open in a new page). If you still have questions, please contact the Entrepreneurs for Rural Access Coaches in your region: olive@accessagriculture.org and Mobile number +265 (0) 99 25 084 82
Selection process
A committee of ERA coaches, communication and development professionals will review and assess the proposals based on the novelty and strength of the proposal in promoting organic agriculture using the Access Agriculture videos.
A shortlist of pre-selected applicants will be developed by the committee.
The pre-selected applicants will be informed via email. WhatsApp and/or phone call.
An online interview will be held with shortlisted applicants.
The shortlisted candidates will be informed about the outcome of the interview one week after the interview.
The selected ERA’s will have a face-to-face meeting with the ERA coach to clarify roles and reporting and hand over the smart projector.
Implementation requirements for ERA’s
If you are selected, you will be expected to sign a code of conduct and safeguarding policy documents that stipulates that you will effectively use the smart projector to show Access Agriculture videos till the end of the project under which you have been recruited to grow your business or services and establish school gardens, to promote organic agriculture and agroecology and report back regularly to Access Agriculture after which the projector will become your property.
All ERAs are obliged to start activities within the FIRST month after receiving the smart projector. After one month if there is no work, the ERA will receive a warning and after 2 months the ERA Coach will pick the projector back.
Access Agriculture reserves the right to take back the smart projector for failure to carry out activities regularly.
For any clarifications, please first check the FAQ here (this will open in a new page). If you still have questions, please contact the Entrepreneurs for Rural Access Coaches in your region: olive@accessagriculture.org
