Togo: young people honoured at closing of “Incubator for technical managers” project

The closing event of the “incubator for technical managers” project, implemented in Togo from June 2020 to February 2021, took place on 10 June 2021. The project was set up by COLEACP in collaboration with Togolese companies in the framework of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) Togo Project. Other partners who were involved in the occasion included the European Union Delegation, the German development agency (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ), the Plant Protection Directorate (DPV) of Togo and Association des Producteurs, Transformateurs et Exportateurs de Légumes et Fruits du Togo (APROTELF). After official speeches and testimonies from the different stakeholders, including expert trainers, the 22 young participants in the project all received their certificates with COLEACP team members joining via Zoom.

Attending sessions on theory and practice, the 22 trainees were able to complete the entire training cycle during 2020 and 2021, despite the COVID-19 restrictions. Dorothée Vandeleene, from COLEACP’s Training department, welcomed this achievement and “has precious memories of the enthusiasm, motivation and endurance. She also praised the unfailing availability of the trainers throughout this experience.

Bodomziba Tchala, COLEACP relay in Togo, and Jeremy Knops, COLEACP General Delegate, introduced the event by underlining the innovative and exemplary aspect of the initiative and its results, which should allow it to be reproduced in other countries. Agbenu from GIZ and Frederic Varenne from the European Union Delegation in Togo thanked COLEACP, the actors in this project as well as the young participants for their commitment and their work.

During his speech, Frederic Varenne expressed his satisfaction through three key points: (i) the project was a clear response to the needs of Togolese companies; (ii) the training was entirely locally managed, using Togo’s human resources to create job opportunities; and (iii) the project placed great importance on organic horticulture but also on the rational use of inputs. For the European Union, the preservation of the environment is “inseparable from a sustainable agroindustry in Togo”.

The trainers and participants were also able to share their experiences of the project. According to one participant: “This training was precise, concise, technical and covered the essentials. We are [now] able to meet the needs of the horticultural sector in Togo and contribute to its development”. Combé Sélom Anani, trainer and company manager, also expressed his contentment: “As a company manager, I am satisfied to see that three of our agents have seen their capacities reinforced throughout this training. It is a very good initiative that I hope will last for the betterment of the companies.” He describes these young people as “motivated and committed” which, according to him, “bodes well for the revival of the Togolese horticultural sector”.

As a follow-up to the incubator project activities, a WhatsApp “speed dating” group was created to facilitate meetings between young job seekers and employers.

Find all the CVs of the 22 project participants on our website for COLEACP activities in Togo.

This closing event took place in strict compliance with the health measures for the control of COVID-19 in force at the time.

This activity was organised within the framework of the Project to strengthen the National Phytosanitary Control and Certification System for Fruit and Vegetables in Togo supported by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) project and implemented by COLEACP.