In September 2023, over 200 delegates elected their new national board at the first annual general meeting of the Women Farmers Association of Kenya (WoFaAK). This is made up of nine members, with at least one representative from each county.
From left behind: Trainerin Christina Njoka, Mariam Makokha, Millicent Ogolla, Grace Gakii, Angelika Eberl, Antoninah Kagwiria, Lucyline Karimi, Mary Kibue sitting in the front: Florence Kinoti, Winfred Murithii, Phasilia Mbone.
To support them in their new office, the BBV-LIZ organised a retreat for the new national board with trainer Christina Njoka and project manager Angelika Eberl. The aim was for the women to get to know each other and receive important information about their voluntary work and how to carry it out. We met in Runjenyes, a small town in Embu County - it rained every day.
The main topics of the closed meeting were the clear definition of tasks and the distribution of roles within the new regional board. This enables a precise allocation of responsibilities and promotes a deep understanding of the individual challenges of each Board member.
This included discussing the importance and content of rules of procedure and the principles of good organisational management. Softskills are also important, such as personal requirements, the ability to work in a team, communication skills, etc.
Another focus was on discussing the newly revised WoFaAK statutes and their significance in practice. How do you implement a statute? Together, the women decided on concrete measures to achieve the goals set out in the statutes.
For the first time, the National Executive Board decided to form a finance committee and a specialised committee to deal with the issues at hand. Four Executive Board members sit on each of these committees and advise the National Executive Board on strategic decisions. This ensures the efficient management of financial matters as well as subject-related issues.
An important item on the agenda was the preparation of the handover of office. Best practices were discussed to ensure a smooth transition between the old and new Board of Directors.
Project manager Angelika Eberl provided information on the planned activities of the BBV-LIZ in the current third project until March 2026, emphasising the active involvement of the new Executive Board in planning and implementation. Now that all district associations have opened a WoFaAK bank account, project funds will only be transferred to WoFaAK accounts. The BBV-LIZ also emphasises the importance of correct cash accounting.
At the end of the meeting, the trainer asked the members of the regional board to describe the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks of WoFaAK from their perspective using a SWOT analysis. This is very helpful, as this initial internal analysis provides new ideas for the further development of WoFaAK.
Handover of office
The handover of office from the old to the new National Executive Board took place on 3 November 2023. No documents or material assets were available for inspection or examination. Daphne Muchai, the former Chairwoman, only handed over a four-page report. This handover was deemed inadequate by the National Executive Board, as essential information was missing and could not be examined. The Executive Board will tackle this issue first and foremost.
Finally, project manager Angelika Eberl thanked the former chairwoman Daphne Muchai for her many years of commitment in setting up WoFaAK with a small gift from Bavaria.
