| General Description | |
| Subject | Study of the agrarian system in two Conservancies |
| Number of trainees | 1 |
| Duration and desired dates | 6 months, including 5 months in the field (April-September 2024) |
| Precise location of the study area and size | Conservancies of Ongongo and Ombuijokanguindi Conservancies, Kunene Region, Namibia |
| Person in charge of the internship (name, functions, structure) | Reinhold Kambuli, AVSF Institutional Representative and Project Manager in Namibia Katia Roesch, AVSF Programme Manager in Lyon |
| Terms of reference of the internship | |
| Issue/context | AVSF is a professional association of international solidarity recognized as being of public utility, which has been working since 1977 to support peasant agriculture. The association is engaged in Africa, Asia and South America with peasant communities in the promotion of agroecological transitions to address food insecurity and the economic vulnerability of peasant families.
Since May 2023, AVSF has been running a project in Namibia in the Kunene region, located about 750 km from the capital in the north-west of the country. It is a mountainous, arid or even semi-desert region, with high temperatures and low rainfall. Most of the people in the Kunene region (Herero, Damara, Himba ethnicities) are subsistence rural farmers living in isolated and remote areas without reliable access to water and sanitation services or electricity, who depend almost entirely on small-scale livestock or jobs in the tourism sector. Due to its aridity, Kunene is one of the least developed regions in Namibia. It is also the region with the most Conservancies and largest are under communal conservation in the country. Communal Conservancies are autonomous entities, officially recognized by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), which grants them the right to manage natural resources and wildlife on their territory. Each conservancy has its own constitution and plans that foresee and guide the use of natural resources.
Through this project, AVSF and its Namibian partner IRDNC (Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation) wish to strengthen the adaptation and resilience of producers in two Conservancies in the Kunene region in the face of climate extremes through the development of pilot activities in agroecology and livestock farming. |
| Objectives of the internship | The objective of this agrarian diagnosis is to assess and characterize the technical and economic practices of farmers/herders in a given agroecological context, and to understand the evolution of agricultural and livestock production systems. The aim will be to understand the operating logic of the different types of farming and to highlight the interests of communal farmers.
This study will make it possible to acquire a detailed knowledge of the production systems in the intervention area of the project to support the development of agriculture and livestock, with the aim of specifying the actions of the current and future project and the modalities of intervention for each of the Conservancies. |
| Missions/activities | · Characterization of the environment: define the constraints of the natural environment for agriculture and delimit homogeneous areas in terms of the mode of exploitation and enhancement of ecosystems · Historical analysis: characterise the main stages of evolution of the different areas and highlight the conditions and consequences of the transformations of farming practices during these different stages · Study of current production systems: establish a typology of agricultural holdings to understand how different categories of farmers/herders implement different production systems according to the means at their disposal. · Economic analysis: specify the economic results for each category of farmers: annual wealth creation (net value added), profitability of the system for the operator (farm income). Compare productivity between different cropping and livestock systems to understand how choices are made for the allocation of available resources between the productive subsystems of the farming practices and compare the economic efficiency of different production systems (taking into account natural resources). · Recommendations for the continuation of the project to support the development of agriculture and livestock in each of the Conservancies.
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| Proposed Methodology | The internship will be conducted in the field with local communities. All the information collected will come from interviews with producers and local institutions (NGOs, Farmers Associations, Farmers Unions and local government ministries). A first scoping meeting will be organized at the beginning of the internship with the project team and representatives of the producers in the area. Several working sessions throughout the internship will be organized with the project team and the trainees. Restitutions of the study will be organized at the end of the internship in the area of intervention of the project and with the institutional actors of the area.
2 products: – An internship report including a one-page summary in English and French – A10-page summary of the report.
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| Trainee Training & Skills | |
| Training/Specialization | Training in agronomy – preferably in the final year Skills in agricultural economics, analysis of production systems, sociology of farms and dynamics of agricultural development. Compulsory skills in agrarian diagnosis.
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| Langage Proficiency | Very good command of French and English.
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| Experience | Previous experience in a country in the South |
| Special Abilities | Very good interpersonal skills and interest in teamwork Adaptability and autonomy Good command of the Office pack Good analytical, writing and synthesis skills Interest in international solidarity Ability to work in a different cultural context
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| Internship conditions | |
| Internship allowances | In accordance with national regulations |
| Accommodation and transport conditions | Support for international travel, as well as local travel Accommodation at the student’s expense (tent during the surveys in the Conservancies) |
| Equipment & Logistics | Student’s personal computer |
| On-site supervision conditions | Institutional Representative and AVSF Project Manager in Namibia
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Please send CV + cover letter both in english, no later than February the 14th 2024 at the following address: r.boissenin@avsf.org, indicating in the subject line of the email the reference « AVSF INTERNSHIP NAMIBIA ».
Expériences / Formation
| Training in agronomy – preferably in the final year Skills in agricultural economics, analysis of production systems, sociology of farms and dynamics of agricultural development. Compulsory skills in agrarian diagnosis.
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| Very good command of French and English.
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| Previous experience in a country in the South |
| Very good interpersonal skills and interest in teamwork Adaptability and autonomy Good command of the Office pack Good analytical, writing and synthesis skills Interest in international solidarity Ability to work in a different cultural context
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Salaire
| Internship conditions | |
| Internship allowances | In accordance with national regulations |
| Accommodation and transport conditions | Support for international travel, as well as local travel Accommodation at the student’s expense (tent during the surveys in the Conservancies) |
| Equipment & Logistics | Student’s personal computer |
| On-site supervision conditions | Institutional Representative and AVSF Project Manager in Namibia
|
Comment postuler
Please send CV + cover letter in english, no later than February the 14th 2024 at the following address: r.boissenin@avsf.org, indicating in the subject line of the email the reference « AVSF INTERNSHIP NAMIBIA ».