At the end of April, more than 20 Zambian farmers have successfully completed their training as instructor of Sparkassenstiftung’s micro business game. A German trainer with long-standing savings banks experience executed this train-the-trainer measure together with a Zambian instructor, who underwent a similar training already in 2014.
The training measure was part of the “<link http: www.wfp.org purchase-progress _blank>Purchase for Progress” (P4P) programme of the World Food Programme (WFP) to improve the working and living conditions of farmers in Zambia. In Mansa, the province capital of Luapula, the participants, who came from the different regions throughout the country, slipped into the role of microentrepreneurs within the scope of the microbusiness simulation “Get to know your numbers”. Gradually they were acquainted with the typical processes of a successfully operating microbusiness. In different rounds of this haptic simulation game, they had to master various tasks, such as buying in and processing raw materials, selling products, taking on a loan or paying wages. Thus, the participants learned how their business decisions, way of thinking and behaving can influence the success or failure of an enterprise.
Having successfully completed the multiplier training, the newly minted trainers will now impart their freshly gained knowledge about economic interrelationships and entrepreneurial skills in eight different training measures in their respective home regions.
Sparkassenstiftung and WFP plan to execute a total of three multiplier trainings in Zambia to enhance the basic business skills and economic knowledge of farmers. By helping them to understand the underlying processes of their business and economic interrelationships, the farmers are enabled to draw up simple business plans with reliable economic figures and are, thus, empowered to act more self-reliant and target-oriented.
In addition to Mansa, trainings will be held in Choma, a town in the Southern Province of Zambia, and Chipata, the capital of the Zambia’s Eastern Province, close to the border of Malawi. The joint initiative of Sparkassenstiftung and the World Food Programme of the United Nationals pursues the goal to train at least 60 Zambian farmers until the end of 2015 and qualify them as microbusiness trainers.
The UN World Food Programme:
Since its foundation in 1961, the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations pursues the vision of a world in which every individual has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. The WFP works towards that vision together with governments and other UN and NGO partners in charge of food issues, such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the German Welthungerhilfe (‘World Hunger Aid’) or CARE. More than 11,000 people work for WFP all over the globe.
Further information about WFP can be accessed <link http: www.wfp.org about _blank>here
The business management simulations of Sparkassenstiftung:
For many years now, the Sparkassenstiftung for internationale Kooperation has been developing and using business management simulations to train specialists and managers in developing countries and emerging economies. Interaction, practice orientation and the strong motivation to emerge as winner at the end of the day: All these factors lead to a high learning result. The Sparkassenstiftung is currently offering six business games for different target groups.
The Micro Business Game is one of Sparkassenstiftung’s most successful simulations. Local game instructors, who were expressly trained by Sparkassenstiftung, have meanwhile reached about 10,000 participants in over 15 countries with this particular haptic management game. Many people in Sparkassenstiftung’s project countries do not have the opportunity to take part in the trainings on site. By starting to broadcast the microbusiness game “Get to know your numbers” on Zambian TV in March, the learning content of this game has been made accessible to a broader public.
Further information about the management games of Sparkassenstiftung as well as the film premiere of Sparkassenstiftung’s micro business game “Get to know to your numbers” can be accessed <link http: www.sparkassenstiftung.de en media-publications news news-detail datum get-to-know-your-numbers-filmpremiere-das-mikrofinanz-planspiel-der-sparkassenstiftung-erstma.html _blank>here
The 10 episodes of the telenovela “Get to know your numbers” can be accessed on Sparkassenstiftung’s YouTube channel via the following <link https: www.youtube.com user sparkassenstiftung _blank>link
Contact partners:
Stefan Henkelmann / Carina Lau
Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation
Simrockstraße 4
53113 Bonn
Phone.: +49 228 9703-6625 / -6608
Fax: +49 228 9703-6613