12. extension

12.1 The role of the extension worker

What agroforestry extension is and is not

Extension can be described as a non-formal educational system aimed at improving the livelihood of people. Forestry extension has been used to mean "any program or activity that assists local people to be willingly involved in forestry activities from which they will derive some recognizable benefit within a reasonable period of time" (FAO, 1989).

"Extension should be regarded as a process of integrating indigenous and derived knowledge, attitudes and skills to determine what is needed, how it can be done, what local co-operation and resources can be mobilized and what additional assistance is available and may be necessary to overcome particular obstacles" (Sim and Hilmi, 1987).

It is important to stress that extension is basically a process of education, not necessarily involving heavy subsidies or material support. Furthermore it is a two-way educational process where local people and extension workers learn from each other.

"Agroforestry extension is not entirely a technical task of helping people to plant trees. It is, rather, a combined technical, psychological, sociological, institutional and political task" (Chavangi and Zimmermann, 1987).

Figure 12.1 Extension is a process of education

The role of the extension worker

Early agroforestry extension work tended to focus on the production of tree seedlings which were distributed to local people. If we regard extension as being strictly a process of education, then it can be questioned if that early work should be regarded as extension at all.

More recently, extension policy of the Government departments involved has gradually shifted from the emphasis on nurseries to more education and facilitation of the farmers' own activities.

Chavangi and Zimmermann (1987) attempted to describe the role of the extension forester under the following points:

1. The primary role of the extension forester is to help people to express and communicate their problems and needs as they themselves perceive them. It is often said that a problem well defined and stated is a problem half solved.

2. As farm forestry (or agroforestry) is an integral part of rural development, the role of the extension forester is to explore how natural, human, and institutional resources in the community can be developed to bring about rural development through tree planting.

3. The role of the extension forester is to assist the people to come up with their own solutions to the problems that have been identified. This means that the role of the extension forester should be that of a motivator through participation. People should be given a chance to participate actively in the different aspects of planning and implementation.

4. The role of the extension forester is to provide individual and group encouragement and technical advice to farmers in their tree-planting efforts.

5. The role of the extension forester is to assemble and transmit existing knowledge, and to add his own knowledge. Farmers who have practised tree planting for a long time have considerable experience. This is knowledge that evolves over time; there is no substitute for it, and the extension forester will do well to make full use of this knowledge.

6. The role of the extension forester is, as noted earlier, to build on what already works well, but also to prevent farm forestry in all its aspects from remaining static.

7. The extension forester has the important role of organizing meetings. These various meetings are useful as a forum for creating mass awareness and for assessing general opinion or reaction to issues related to rural afforestation.

Figure 12.2 One of the extension worker's roles is to arrange meetings

8. The extension forester has the important role of initiating projects which demonstrate the impact of rural afforestation.

9. With the initiation of projects that demonstrate the impact of rural afforestation in an area, the extension forester assumes the role of the organizer of visits to these projects.

10. The role of the extension forester is to develop satisfactory working relationships with the many other organizations which are involved in the promotion of rural afforestation in Kenya.

11. As research is an important component of extension forestry, the role of the extension forester is in this respect the vital one of acting as a link between researchers and the practical needs of the people.

12. The role of the extension forester is to make information available in a suitable form.

These roles of the extension forester apply to all extension workers dealing with agroforestry.

Figure 12.3 Focus on the extension worker's role as a knowledge builder and motivator