Home Actualités Actualités du projet ARDYIS Web 2.0 Training & Exchange Workshop in the Land of the Flying Fish…
Vendredi 09 Août 2013 11:49

ARDYIS Web 2.0 Training & Exchange Workshop in the Land of the Flying Fish…

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25 youths, coming from all corners of the Caribbean took part in the ARDYIS Web 2.0 Training and Exchange Workshop from 27-31 July 2013 at the University of the West Indies in Cave Hill, Barbados. The event was organized by CTA and CAFAN in the framework of the YoBloCo Awards.

From the beginning of the workshop, the excitement was palpable among the young Caribbean youths. Everyone remarked on the high quality of the training session and we were very excited to learn new skills and even more thrilled to be able to share them with other youth in our organizations back in our home countries.

Blog Training

During the practical sessions, we learnt how to create, personalize and publish our own blogs. We were also introduced to other social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, Klout and LinkedIn, which we could link to our blog.  In the process, we learnt about the value of leveraging Social Media platforms and using online social network management tools such as Hootsuite to maximize the impact of online agricultural businesses, campaigns and marketing.

We were all able to share our newly created blogs with the facilitators and other fellow participants for constructive feedback and suggestions for improving the look and feel of our blog according to its purpose/objective.

Each day in between the sessions, we recorded our reflections from discussions with our peers and suggested areas of improvement for the training on the “Democracy Walls”. This was a very enjoyable experience, giving us a space to collect our thoughts. Needless to say that everyone wrote so many posts that we ran out of space and needed another wall!

Field Trip

As part of the event, a field trip was organized by CTA and CaFAN for participants to get an over-view of some agricultural activities in Barbados. The first visit was to an orchid farm run by Ms. Margaret Lovemore, a farmer in St. Phillip. She sells cut Dendrobium orchids and many other varieties to the local hotels and florists located on the island.

Our next stop was at the Ministry of Agriculture’s tissue culture lab. We were all welcomed and provided with lab coats, hair nets and booties, and were excited to be agricultural lab technicians for the rest of the day.  After taking some pictures in our white attire, we embarked on a tour of the facility and learnt about the process of how orchids and other plant species are grown in test tubes and jars under controlled environment and acclimatized, before they are sold .

Youth-led agricultural innovations

The Training and Exchange Workshop provided a much needed platform for youth dialogue. The workshop acted as a microcosm of Caribbean youth involved in agriculture that allowed participants to share their experiences and challenges in farming in their native territories as well as personal and professional experiences related to agriculture and rural development.

During the exchange sessions, we learnt about two innovative agricultural start-ups. The first one,  called “Go Goat”, is an initiative by Shurdel N. Garcia of Trinidad & Tobago. She produces and markets yoghurt, ice cream and cheese made from goat milk to her local community.

The other initiative, “Hike Wadadli”, by Samuel Brazier of Antigua, is about a nature trail connected to his farm, encouraging tourism and agricultural education amongst visitors to the island.

Exchange sessions on the use of ICTs in Agriculture

On the final day, the participants participated in group discussions on the causes of low participation of Caribbean youths in agriculture, why they should get involved in the sector and what role can the youth, social media and ICT play as part of the solution to these questions.

Each group formulated and submitted a one page proposal to CAFAN, advising the organization on a strategy for using social media as the foundation of a campaign to raise awareness and interest in agriculture amongst Caribbean Youth.

Access to ICT & Social media training and tools among rural populations across the region came out strongly in all presentations.

What do others say about their experience?

Young People I urge you to take part!....the experience, training and networking I gained from the CTA Ardyis Web 2.0 Workshop held recently for youths of the caribbean in Barbados was a life changing, motivating and extremely informative.....I could not have asked for a better workshop! Keep fulfilling your mission CTA!...Thanks again for the amazing opportunities!

Shurdel Garcia, Trinidad and Tobago

Web 2.0 training was a enlightening...really eye-opening. Thanks to the organizers and trainers. Without the training I would in quick time be obsolete. KUDOS!

Petra Grell-Shillingford, Dominica

The way forward

I personally intend to use these new skills to help young people and survivors of domestic violence in Guyana through training workshops in Social Media and ICT to start up their own agricultural businesses to gain economic independence. Like me, other participants of the training and exchange workshop are planning to put the new skills and knowledge we have learnt into practice after we leave Barbados!

As I write this article before taking my taxi to the airport, I can truly say I have taken in both the academic and fun side of Barbados. This experience has been an unforgettable one. We are now all equipped with the social media tools the magic will be in how we use them to make a difference to agriculture in our countries!

Blog post by Imarah Radix, one of the workshop participants from Guyana

Photo: Richie Richards, Antigua

Dernière modification le Jeudi 22 Août 2013 13:26
 

Focus

ICT and Youth in Agriculture in Africa (Report)