The “True Fish Farming Story in the Lake Victoria Basin” project (TRUEFISH), funded by the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF11) and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has pioneered a strategic model for developing aquaculture skills in East Africa through the transformation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Working with the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology (RIAT) in Kenya, the Fisheries Education and Training Agency (FETA) in Tanzania, and the Fisheries Training Institute (FTI) in Uganda, the project adopted a structured, country-led process beginning with institutional and sector-wide Training Needs Assessments (TNA). These informed individual workplans that were later aligned regionally to define three key intervention areas: (1) infrastructure improvement and equipment provision for training delivery; (2) strengthening the capacity of TVET teaching staff through regional and international Training-of-Trainers (ToT) programmes; and (3) development and certification of aquaculture curricula, including upgraded diploma programs and 12 standardized short courses.
Following institutional strengthening, short-term training was delivered to over 510 aquaculture farmers in collaboration with national aquaculture associations—the Aquaculture Association of Kenya (AAK), the Aquaculture Association of Tanzania (AAT), and the Uganda Aquaculture Cooperative Union Ltd (UACU). All courses were taught by TVET instructors previously trained through the project’s ToT programme, ensuring technical alignment and pedagogical consistency.
Crucially, National Focal Points (NFPs) from participating countries were actively engaged throughout the process—from planning and content validation to monitoring and delivery—thus securing national ownership and policy coherence. With accredited courses, trained staff, and operational facilities, the three institutions are now positioned to deliver continued aquaculture training, ensuring a sustained pipeline of qualified aquaculture professionals in the Lake Victoria region.