The Israel Internship Program

Noela J. Kimilike is a graduate of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and an agro studies alumni of 2018. She is one of the beneficiaries of the SUGECO Internship program to Israel for eleven (11) months. She got an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the production, processing, harvesting, and packaging of mushrooms in Marina Galilee Company Group Farm in Israel.

While in Israel Noela learned about the different types of mushrooms produced by the Company that include Brown mushrooms, White mushrooms, and Oyster Mushrooms which are the most used and highly demanded in the market

Through the experience she gained from the internship, she returned to Tanzania and managed to establish a mushroom and rice farm where she is exercising what she practiced. She is into the production of oyster mushrooms which are used in Tanzanian Hotels and Restaurants.  The internship program has improved her standard of living and her family through the little savings she has managed to make from the stipend which was paid on an hourly basis.

“I managed to save a little money and when I came back I invested in rice and mushroom farming on family-owned land and built a  small  house for the family,” Noela said

“For instance now am doing the production of mushroom and rice and I’m getting money. I have expanded the network and am now engaging myself in some entrepreneurial activities’’ She added

She added that the program exposed her to several exhibitions, events, and different cultures from around the globe whereby the new environment shaped her perception and opinions regarding life and agribusiness. She had an opportunity to tour some parts of Israel especially Jerusalem and Nazareth.

“Though the progress is not enough, it was worth the effort and time invested but much support is needed so that the skills gained in mushroom production can be beneficial to many Tanzanian youths to enable them to tap the opportunities in mushroom production” Noela Said

However, she mentioned an unstable, uncertain mushroom market as a great challenge. Noela pointed out the fear of investment among the agro studies alumni after the Israel internship program as the greatest setback for the alumni and there is a need for mindset change and incubation when interns return to Tanzania.