Background

The Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF) is a nationwide platform whose purpose is tochange the current perception among the youths vis-à-vis the agriculture sector in Rwanda, while orienting them to seize investment opportunities through awareness creation, skills development, and advocacy support services. The idea is to create a critical mass of change agents to influence transformation of agricultural business landscape with courage, determination and positive attitude.

It is a platform of young entrepreneurs operating in any sub-sectors of agribusiness value chain (crop and/or livestock production, agro-processing, inputs and other agro-services as well as ICT in Agriculture). Officially launched in May 2016 with the aim to rejuvenate the sector here in Rwanda, RYAF strive to change and challenge youth mindset vis-à-vis agribusiness opportunities for food and nutritional security and sustainable job creation. The forum is officially legalized in the official gazette number 50 of 11th December 2017.

AGRITERRA

Agriterra is a Dutch agri-agency that provides business development services to ambitious
cooperatives and farmer organizations in developing and emerging economies. Agritrerra assists them with advice and training through locally based business advisors and by deploying practitioners from the Dutch international farmer organizations and (cooperatives) companies, the so-called Agripool experts. Agriterra applies a three-track approach: making cooperatives bankable and create real farmerled companies, supporting organizations to improve extension services to their members and enhancing farmers-government dialogues. Agriterra advisory practice covers the full range of services on management and organization, financial management, Governance, Business Development and Lobby & Advocacy.

In Rwanda, Agriterra is operating in 14 districts of Rwanda, supporting approximately 70 cooperatives within the value chains of maize, rice, coffee, Irish potato, daily, horticulture and sugar cane with the intent to expand its portfolio through collaboration with other sector stakeholders. Recently Agriterra has initiated a new program aiming at creating jobs for young professionals. Ambitious young professionals will be offered the opportunity to gain work experience in rural farmerled businesses at known Agriterra partners. Agriterra will co-finance the salary costs of the cooperatives that have enrolled into the program and will guide the young professional and the cooperative in the development, implementation and evaluation of the personal development plan of the young professionals.

TERMS OF REFERENCES

Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum(RYAF) partnering with AGRITERA, are empowering farmers’ association and cooperatives to have a positive influence on rural development by contributing to more equal distribution of income and enhance democratic decision-making and relations.

It is with this background that RYAF partnering with AGRITERRA wish to recruit highly motivated individuals that will collaborate with the cooperative management to support cooperative farmers under the position specified below

Responsibilities of Cooperative Manager are the following:

 Coordinate all the activities of the cooperative. These will include activity planning and
coordination, monitoring and reporting.

 Provide advice to the cooperative

 Build a network among farmers, cooperatives, agribusinesses, development partners,
and government officials.

 Ability to work under pressure, live and travel in countryside and provide outstanding
results in limited time

 Ensure accurate and timely monthly, quarterly and annually reports to the board of the
cooperative explaining them in an understandable manner including Quantity of goods
sold; Turnover realized, and Activities done.

 Supporting the cooperative in becoming small medium enterprise and becoming a Hub

 Market attraction and negotiation

 Be responsible to further all operations of the cooperative and increase the turnover.

Desired Skills and Qualifications:

 Bachelor’s degree in management, agribusiness or any other related agricultural development field/subject with one year working experience.

 Strong practical experience in working with farmers and cooperatives at production
and marketing level with a proof of service

 Strong communication, management, and interpersonal skills required.

 Result oriented and problem-solving capacity.

 Excellent English and Kinyarwanda writing and oral communication skills.

 Experience in working with farmers’ cooperative in agriculture sector

 Good teamwork and leadership skills.

 Ability to work in rural District