At MDF, we’re passionate about making learning meaningful especially for adults who bring a wealth of experience to the table. We know that adults learn best when new insights connect directly to their own realities, when learning is hands-on, and when they can immediately apply what they’ve learnt. That’s why we don’t just deliver training we co-create it, together with our partners and participants. Our recent collaboration with Oiko credit International is a great example of this approach in action.
The challenge: great theory, new context
Oiko credit International asked us to help roll out their Agricultural Value Chain (AVC) methodology to a broader group of financial institutions and consultants in East Africa. The methodology originally developed by IDEPRO in Latin developed and refined over years was solid. But introducing it to a larger, mixed group of professionals was a challenge.
A standard training approach explaining the full methodology in detail would likely overwhelm participants before they had a chance to engage. What was needed was a smarter learning journey: one that helped people understand, internalize, and apply the methodology in a practical way.
The solution: co-designing learning that resonates
Our role was to help the methodology take root not by simplifying it, but by making it easier to connect with. And that started by listening. Together with local consultants and the owner of the methodology, we explored what was the real objective of the training setting learning priorities and defining key messages. It was clear that a traditional, linear walkthrough of the methodology would be too much. So instead, we designed a learning process that invited exploration and built confidence gradually.
We focused on practical entry points tools that made immediate sense before introducing the wider methodology in digestible steps. The aim was to create a training experience that felt relevant, engaging, and doable.
Here’s what that looked like in practice:
1. A clear, user-friendly guide to the tools, co-created with local input
2. Interactive sessions that replaced lectures with hands-on exercises and real conversations
3. Local case studies, like Unaitas Microfinance in Kenya, to ground the learning
4. Peer learning moments, where participants shared their own insights and experiences
5. And practical takeaways at the end of each session, ready to apply in their work with/for smallholder farmers
The result: from resistance to ownership
What we saw was a complete shift. Consultants who once found the methodology heavy and abstract became confident facilitators. Financial institutions walked away not just with knowledge, but with motivation and concrete plans to pilot AVC tools with their farmer clients. The difference? The content didn’t change but the learning approach did and that made participants feel connected and capable.
This project is a clear reminder: when learning is relevant, practical, and co-owned, it sticks. Especially across different cultures and systems, real learning doesn’t happen to people it happens with them.
And that’s exactly how we love to work.
