Lewa Practical Dairy Training Centre (PDTC) offers 5-day training courses on dairy farming for smallholder farmers. The training is 60% practical and 40% theoretical, covering topics like fodder management, feeding, housing, calf rearing, milk hygiene, breeding, health, and record keeping. PDTC has trained over 350 farmers since 2015 at their demonstration farm, which includes a zero-grazing unit, grazing land, milking parlor, and accommodation for trainees. Their goals are to improve skills in practical dairy production and address challenges smallholder farmers face like limited resources and lack of intensive training opportunities.

1. LEWA PRACTICAL DAIRY
TRAINING CENTRE
Baraka Farm

2. ABOUT US
Lewa Practical Dairy Training Centre ~ Baraka Farm was started
as a project of Lewa Children’s Home -Trust which is a charitable
children’s institution (NGO). Since 2003, more than 10,000 guests
from all over East Africa have visited Baraka Farm. These guests
were small holder farmers, livestock officers, students etc.
Phyllis Keino (founder director) and Jos Creemers (manager)
developed a plan to have the small-holder zero-grazing
demonstration unit turned into a small training centre for so
called smallholder farmers. They realized the need to improve the
skills of small scale farmers on practical dairy production. LCH
set aside 2.5 acres of the farm to establish practical dairy training
center (PDTC) where relevant demonstrations can be done.

3. OUR TRAINING PROGRAMMES
We offer a five (5) day training course that starts
on Monday and ends on Friday.
The training is highly practical. It includes 60% practical and 40
% theoretical approach.
The following modules are taught:
• Napier Grass & Fodder Management
• Feeding
• Housing
• Calf Rearing
• Milk Technique and Hygiene
• Fertility & Breeding
• Health & Diseases
• Record Keeping

4. - We developed our own curriculum and teaching
modules which focuses on the target group ‘small
holder farmers’.
- 8 Modules are complete
- Each module exists of a minimum of 4 pages.
- - The teaching materials are handed
out to the students and can be
taken home by students at the end
of the week

5. PRACTICAL SESSION AT THE
ZERO GRAZING UNIT
SESSION
DISCUSSION SESSION AT THE
ZERO GRAZING UNIT

6. THEORY SESSION IN THE
CLASSROOM
PDTC TRAINER TAKING
FARMERS THROUGH THE
HOUSING SESSION AT THE
ZERO GRAZING UNIT

7. MARKETING STRATEGIES
COWSIGNALS TRAINING
TRAINERS OF TRAINERS
DURING A PRACTICAL
SESSION AT THE MILKING
PARLOUR

8. FACILITIES AVAILABLE
Small holder farm
*around the zero grazing unit, one can see Napier grass, and a
‘Protein Bank' these are protein rich crops which can be used to add
value (protein) to feeds/diet of the cow.
*the zero grazing unit makes use of appropriate technology aimed
at low input farming and a gradual improvement of genetic
potential of the cows available and a gradual improvement of the
fodder and feeds available.
ZERO GRAZING UNIT

9. NAPIER GRASS AT THE ZERO
GRAZING UNIT
PROTEIN RICH FODDER CROPS
AT THE ZERO GRAZING UNIT

10. Feedlot and grazing for dairy cows
FEEDLOT
GRAZING

11. MILK COLLECTION
MILKING PARLOUR
Milking parlour and collection

12. The Baraka Farm has 80 pedigree Holstein Friesian dairy cows
which. The young stock rearing unit is a modern zero grazing
system which achieves high growth rates.
Calf rearing unit

13. Silage and fodder conservation
MAIZE SILAGE
DRYING FODDER TREE LEAVES

14. Milk processing
PROCESSING PLANT
CHEESE STORAGE

15. Boarding facilities available to conduct the training
1.Class room is with chairs and tables.
2.Video and TV screen are available
3.Accommodation for participants.
DINING ROOM

16. CLASSROOM WITH TV SET
ONE OF OUR ROOMS

17. MALE, 82%,
FEMALE,
18%,
FARMERS TRAINED AS AT 1ST AUGUST 2014
MALE FEMALE
As at 31st December 2015 Lewa PDTC ~ Baraka Farm has
trained 350 farmers/trainers/students; 63 female (18%)
and 287 Male (82%) from different counties countrywide.
10% self sponsored, 83% SNV sponsored and 7% LCH
Sponsored.

18. BARINGO
14%
UASIN GISHU, 44%MERU
9%
NYANDARUA
5%
POKOT
7%
KAKAMEGA
3%
ELGEYO MARAKWET
7%
HOMABAY
2%
NAKURU
9%
FARMERS TRAINED PER COUNTY
BARINGO UASIN GISHU MERU
NYANDARUA POKOT KAKAMEGA
ELGEYO MARAKWET HOMABAY NAKURU

19. Riftvalley
71%
western
5%
Nyanza
2%
Eastern
14%
Central
8%
FARMERS ATTENDANCE ACCORDING TO
PROVINCES
Riftvalley western Nyanza Eastern Central

20. Trainers
11%
Small Sc.
Farmers
70%
Large Sc.
Farmers
15%
Students
4%
FARMERS/TRAINERS
Trainers Small Sc. Farmers
Large Sc. Farmers Students

21. FEB
15%
MARCH
18%
APRIL
9%
MAY
22%
JUNE
18%
JULY
18%
MONTHLY ATTENDANCE
FEB MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY

22. CHALLENGES WE ENCOUNTER
• Sharing of resources with the LCH
• Many potential trainees prefer one day
training
• Marketing
• Course duration is short
• Number of farmers small
• Requires intensive intake of farmers

23. Our marketing strategies include;
• Distribution of flyers, posters and brochures
• Social media i.e. Facebook, Youtube, Google +, Linkedin
• TV, Newspaper, word of mouth
• NGO's : SNV, heifer international, one acre fund, KAVES-
USAID, Smart-Dairy.
• Facilitation: Cowsignals, DTI, Laikipia University
• Milk collection company: KCC, Brookside, Cooperatives
• Possible in the future, Trade fairs, Shows, Field Days
etc.