BARAKA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE – PAST STUDENTS NETWORKS

• From 1974 to date (2011), Baraka Agricultural College has trained, two thousand and ninety one students on the long courses, that is CSARD and DSARD
• The graduates come from Eastern Africa with majority arising from Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Tanzania. Others come from Ethiopia, Zambia, Eriteria, Congo and Ghana.

For BAC to make follow- ups and get feedback of the training from these graduates, it has become necessary that these graduates form structures that will enable the college to constantly communicate with them. Through advice the graduates are developing networks through which they can share ideas on sustainable agriculture and rural development and feedback the college on their achievements and challenges encountered in promoting SARD.

So far three networks have been formed and registered with the relevant government authorities. The networks are:

1. ANSARD-ASAL Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development

• This is a network that was formed by past BAC students arising from North Horr, Marsabit, Moyale, Oldonyiro and Isiolo regions in May 2010.
• The network has been registered by the ministry of culture and social services under the Marsabit County.
• To date, nineteen students have graduated from BAC and have joined the network, others are undergoing the training currently.

Goal for ANSARD

• To become a leading network in promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development in ASAL regions in Kenya

Activities

• On capacity building, the network members have been capacity build by BAC on Conflict management, camel production and utilization of solar energy (use of solar lamps).
• The graduates are developing appropriate projects that can be implemented in their respective communities to improve their livelihoods and those of their communities.

2. SARD Net- Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Network for Uganda past students of CSARD and DSARD courses conducted at Baraka Agricultural College in Molo, Kenya.

• There are 111 BAC graduates in Uganda to date
• SARD Net was set up in February 2009 with the purpose of facilitating the capacity building of Baraka Agricultural College past students in order to more effectively promote Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development.
• The Network has been registered as a ‘Company Limited by Guarantee without Share capital’ under the government of Uganda.
• The network has come up with eleven cells (geographical units with 5-15 past BAC students) through which the members can work with communities in their geographical areas and develop projects that will promote their development.
• The cells are Arua, Adjumani, Gulu, Central, Jinja, Hoima, Kibale, Mbarara Kabale, Kyotera and Nebbi.
• All past BAC students from Uganda are called upon to join this network in one of the cells he/she is close to.

3. NASARDEP-is Nyanza Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Programme

• It is a Non-Governmental Organization registered in Kenya in the year 2010 and is working with smallholder entrepreneurs.

Vision for NARSADEP

• To have a society with interdependent dynamic villages manifesting development initiatives for sustainable livelihoods.

NASARDEP has a five year strategic plan covering 2011 to 2014

The seven main thematic areas envisaged in the strategic plan are;

• Food security
• Agribusiness
• Natural Resource Management
• Preventive Health
• Water and Sanitation
• Institutional Capacity Building and
• Collaboration and networking

NARSADEP has fifteen members so far and is recruiting more BAC graduates. The target is to have all BAC past students from all the five counties in Nyanza namely: Migori, Kisumu, Siaya, Homabay and

NARSARDEP will hold its first annual general meeting on November 18^th, 2011. All BAC past students from Nyanza region are asked to attend.