The AAA Buddy Program is a mentorship and coaching program that was launched by Africa Agribusiness Academy in 2018, in response to the midterm term review that was conducted in 2016. The MTR revealed among others that the members are yearning for guided growth.
The SME members want to grow by benchmarking other AAA members who have gone through the pangs of growth. The SMEs find comfort in sharing their fears, dreams and challenges with fellow AAA members in a Business to Business (B2B) contact arrangement. Peer review of business plans, aiding the junior / upcoming companies /entrepreneurs is well received.
AAA since inception has always had this Mentorship and Coaching objective in its future plans. With the fact that the African organization is taking shape with the Business Club as a unit of organization, AAA decided to implement the Mentorship and Coaching program done by members for members under the AAA framework. Members who show interest in the needs assessment can thereafter be linked to a mentor within the AAA network.
The program will bring senior or experienced AAA members into contact with less experienced members interested in receiving coaching support in developing their businesses. Such support is a multi-year engagement with periods of intensive contacts interspersed with periods (usually longer) of once-in-a-while contacts. The idea is that a coach puts a member on the right track and follows up with counsel and advice until a major new step must be taken.
Vision:
Using Peer-to-Peer to put members on a trajectory of growth from SMEs to eventual large companies
Mission
To support the sustainable business growth of AAA members by building effective leadership in their enterprises based on innovation and good business practices through peer-to-peer mentoring and coaching aimed at graduating their companies to above 100,000$ turnover per year.
Objectives:
1. To make 180-member companies in the 6 countries graduate their turnover to $100,000 per year.
2. To ensure that 30% of the members are ready to assume leadership positions in their businesses, AAA and the agribusiness sector across Africa.
3. To help the members acquire skills to access partnerships, market opportunities and financial planning.
4. To engender an environment of openness and through entrepreneurs to support non-member activities for example Corporate Social Responsibility.