How to become an AAA memberYou can become an aspirant AAA member only upon invitation from an existing member. You may contact AAA by mail indicating your interest in be-coming a member. You have to fulfil the following criteria to be eligible in becoming a member:

• Operates according to AAA business stan- dards (see box Code of Conduct)

• Owner- entrepreneur of a company with• 5-100 employees• Turnover between US$ 50,000 - 1,000,000• Willing to share knowledge and ideas• Link small farmers to markets• Willing to coach others• Have audited accounts for at least two years

Membership Fee & Contribution• One-time registration fee of US$ 100• Annual membership fee of US$ 100

How to contact us:

Tanzania: grace.mhina@aa-academy.orgKenya: samuel.kabiru@aa-academy.org Ethiopia: kalkidan.habesha@aa-academy.org Rwanda: celestin.hakizamungu@aa-academy.org Uganda: mable.namala@aa-academy.org

Africa Agribusiness Academy (Secretariat)P.O. Box 6046, plot 173/174Kagugube Kintu RoadKampala, UgandaT: +256 414 532 465E: barbra.nafula@aa-academy.org

AAA Code of conduct • Cooperate with respect for each other• Confidentiality between members is respected • Apply open and transparent communication,

sharing knowledge, be collaborative working in a team

• Feel ownership for AAA and care for the reputa-tion of AAA

• Act according to the country laws and regulations• Behave in a non-discriminatory manner, both

inside and outside the organization • Act as a fair player in the market, having an

open eye for the interest of all parties• Support customers and suppliers to develop

a sustainable business• Be a role model for other entrepreneurs and

adapt best business practices.• Show leadership through integrity, trust and

transparency in the business network• Act socially and environmentally responsibly

Stimulating entrepreneurship to increase foodsecurity in Africa

www.aa-academy.org

Who we are

The Africa Agribusiness Academy (AAA) is an en-trepreneur network seeking to foster innovation and growth of small and medium scale agribusiness firms in Africa, with the ultimate aim to contribute to economic growth and improvement of rural income and food security in Africa. It was founded in 2010 by a group of innovative agrifood entrepreneurs from Eastern Africa.

AAA is currently active in five countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Each country has its own Country Chapter governed by a Board and each chapter is composed of a number of Busi-ness Clubs located at important commercial hubs across the country. When fully established, AAA business clubs will have between 20-25 members. A country coordinator facilitates the work of the chap-ter and the business clubs, whereas each business club has a leader responsible for the organization of activities at the level of the business club.

AAA Business clubs what’s in it for youAs AAA member you actively participate in and belong to one of the business clubs of the country chapter. Here, on a monthly basis, you meet other members, link, learn, support & make business deals. In joining a business club you benefit from:

• sharing experiences on how to grow your busi-ness, enhance profits and make a contribution to country’s development;

• learning through mentorship and coaching by other entrepreneurs and through events with guest speakers;

• using AAA and other networks to arrange busi-ness deals within country and at the regional and international markets;

• acquiring skills through in-house training activities as well as mentoring and coaching on items such as the elaboration of bankable business plans.

• participating in company visits; • linkages to business service providers (e.g. techni-

cal, financial)• preferential access to the AAA Resource Portal

Being an AAA member also implies that you actively contribute in making the above benefits work in prac-tice. Members are expected to share their experienc-es, knowledge and market intelligence and are willing to coach other members in business development and entrepreneurship

AAA Communities of Practice (CoPs)CoPs are at the heart of the AAA. They are think tanks, by members and for members, drawing on the resources across country chapters and linking them aimed at fostering experiences and ideas for strength-ening entrepreneurship and sustainable business de-velopment. They feed into the business clubs through thematic sessions and guest speakers. A CoP:

• provides you with a forum to share information, stories, and experiences in a way that builds your business understanding and in sight.

• enables you to explore together with other en-trepreneurs new business possibilities and create new, mutually beneficial opportunities.

• stimulates your learning through mentoring, coaching, and self-reflection.

• improves your business practices by providing a forum to identify solutions to common problems and assess best practices

There are two types of CoPs: thematic CoPs focusing on generic business issues like finance, productivity and entrepreneurship and sector CoPs bringing to-gether entrepreneurs of a specific sector such honey, seeds or dairy. Outputs from the CoPs form the ba-sis for the development of an AAA Resource Centre on agrifood SME development in Africa. This centre will be accessible through a web-based portal to AAA members.

Facebook: Africa Agribusiness Academy Twitter:@AAAcademy1