A pioneering agricultural mechanisation academy in Somalia has successfully produced its first group of graduates, in a significant step forward for the country’s agriculture following decades of setbacks and severely challenging circumstances.
Forty young men and women celebrated their graduation on 8 October 2023 at a gala event held in Mogadishu, the Somalian capital, attended by a host of local and international dignitaries. The Academy for Sustainable Agri-Mechanization Training was established following a ground-breaking partnership between Case IH, its dealership Gaalooge Farming & Livestock Cooperative, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Graduates received diploma certificates, a set of tools, personal protective equipment and reference materials for their new vocation. Gaalooge also committed to providing apprenticeships and internships for new graduates. A private company, Gaalooge is the only OEM tractor and implement dealer in Somalia, with Case IH its primary partner for sales and support of tractors, and is focused on developing skills and training in operating, servicing, repairing and maintaining machinery in a country still largely dependent on draft animals and muscle power for farm work.
Technical skills development
The Academy provides social education and technical vocational skills to enable project beneficiaries and trainees to ultimately contribute to improved livelihoods and community development, providing relevant training to those from Somalia’s Bay, Bakool, and Lower Shabelle regions and beyond.
Key stakeholders from various organisations, institutions and federal government bodies attended the graduation ceremony, including Omar Abdirahmn, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, and various representatives of Case IH parent CNH Industrial.
Practical experience
The six-month academy course consists of one-quarter classroom training and the remainder practical, hands-on field sessions. Two Case IH tractors, a JXT45 and a JXT75, help provide training on instruments and controls, different tractor systems, operation, safety, consumables and lubricants, and maintenance of engines, transmissions, hydraulics, electrical systems and brakes.
The Academy’s specialised training is part of a broader initiative by the Gaalooge Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) School aimed at improving the skills of rural agricultural communities, with special emphasis on women and families. The Gaalooge TVET School is jointly supported by UNIDO Somalia and Case IH, and is designed to create economic opportunities and jobs in the agriculture and agro-industrial sectors in the country’s South West State and Banaadir region
