We are searching for an experienced Consultancy – Mentorship Expert -Avocado Value Chain at our Kenya facility.
You are eligible for this position if you have demonstrated experience in offering mentorship to smallholder farmers primarily in Avocado value chain. Please note that only applicants who are residents in Kenya will be considered.
Project Overview:
The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) is a 7-year and €134 million programme funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that aims to create a prosperous future for 230,000 young women and men in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa, and Horn of Africa regions. The Fund will be supporting initiatives in 12 focus countries that will offer youth, in particular young women, opportunities for work that is demand-driven and productive, offering a stable income and safe working conditions, and that is contributing to their personal development and social protection.
The portfolio of projects is selected from business cases that were proposed by private sector, civil society and knowledge institutions. Each business case has outlined scalable solutions for creating more and better jobs and income-generating opportunities for youth. Solutions focus on an integrated approach that addresses the shortcomings on the demand side (jobs) and supply side (skills) and bridging the mismatch between these two in the labor market.
Sokofresh Overview:
SokoFresh is a social enterprise incorporated in 2019, dedicated to reducing post-harvest losses and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Kenya. Through our solar-powered cold storage solutions and market linkage services, SokoFresh enables farmers to access premium markets, improve produce quality, and increase their incomes.
Under the CFYE project, SokoFresh focuses on empowering youth and women in agriculture by creating employment opportunities across various roles, including farmers, loaders, transporters, and assemblers. The project targets improving agricultural practices, reducing post-harvest losses, and enhancing market access for smallholder farmers.
Assignment Overview:
SokoFresh and CFYE are jointly implementing the SokoFresh AgriHub project, which aims to directly improve the livelihoods of over 2,000 youth farmers. By leveraging the collective strength, knowledge, and resources of women’s chamas, placing women at the center of the smallholder agricultural ecosystem. Through these hubs, the project will enhance revenue generation along value chains by improving farmers’ access to and ability to meet market demands while significantly reducing post-harvest losses.
One of the key challenges that SokoFresh youth farmers face is the lack of Global GAP & GRASP Certification. Many young farmers lack access to premium markets due to missing the minimum requirements of unlocking those markets, i.e., Global GAP/GRASP certificates. However, youth farmers face various challenges including Farming-related stress and isolation disproportionately affect youth, with 68% reporting mental health challenges and lack of other opportunities to better their lives and Gender Disparities where young women face additional barriers (e.g., childcare, discrimination).
Therefore, the youth farmers need a structured peer-to-peer and expert mentorship program that embeds psychosocial support, agribusiness& general skill-building, and career navigation ensuring 50% female participation in mentorship and gender equity measures.
SokoFresh and CFYE are looking on board a qualified Mentorship Expert to design and oversee the youth-focused mentorship program, train mentors, monitor progress, and refine the model based on youth feedback. The consultant will report directly to the CFYE Country Lead and work closely, on a day-to-day basis, with the SokoFresh management team.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
– Conduct needs assessment with youth farmers (surveys/focus groups).
– Host mentor matching sessions.
– Organize peer learning summit where youth share success stories.
– Evaluate impact via youth surveys/metrics.
– Train Hub Operators & Hub Associates to sustain the program post-TA.
– Document lessons learned for CFYE.
Deliverables:
– Inception report that provides the proposed framework of support to SokoFresh.
– Monthly progress reports detailing youth engagement with the topics, training methods and outcomes, and recommendations for improvements.
– Collaborate with SokoFresh to plan and deliver an agreed number of training sessions
– Submit and end of assignment report summarizing all activities, outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations for scaling or improving the intervention.
Level of Effort and Reporting:
Up to 7 days over 3 months (16th June– 30th October 2025).
Required Qualifications:
– A solid understanding of and network within the entrepreneurship/mentorship eco-system, including key players, projects, reform champions, and current challenges & opportunities;
– An analytical mind with the ability to conduct analyses, identify problems and opportunities, and craft feasible recommendations & approaches.
– Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse youth groups.
– Experience in using participatory methodologies in training and facilitation
– Facilitating mentoring relationships and linkages with local/mobile health clinics
– Experience in serving the mental health challenges of rural youth in the agricultural sector (desirable)
– Experience in facilitating mental health circles using GRASP grievance frameworks (desirable)
– Problem-solving skills and the ability to provide practical solutions to social challenges.
– Fluency in English and local languages (preferred).
– Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and digital tools for data collection.
Deadline: 4 June 2025
Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.
