What Is Much depends on Kilonzo's knowledge of the farmer: his ways of
 doing things, his reasons for doing these things. For instance, it
Communication? may be that the farmer was concerned to hide what was inside the
 basket, more because he feared demands from relatives than
 attacks from thieves. But this is not something that the farmer
 would easily admit. Only if Kilonzo is familiar with local customs
 can he interpret why things are the way they are.
 If Kilonzo wants to influence a farmer's way of doing things,
 he must work in terms of the needs and interests of that
 farmer. If what Kilonzo says does not appeal to those needs
 and interests, he will faiL
 A lot depends, too, on attitudes:
 Only if Kilonzo is enthusiastic about his job and believes in
 his extension messages, will he be convincing. Only if he can
 identify with his farmer's needs and aspirations, will he be
 able to build a successful relationship.
 Take, for example, the issue of free cribs that comes up in the
 illustration. What the farmer says is natural and sensible. If other
 farmers have been given them, then he would be naive not to ask
 for one too. As well as stating the facts, perhaps Kilonzo should also
 have expressed his understanding of the farmer's position; and
 then gone on to talk through with him how he could have improved
 his own stores as cheaply as possible.

 Combining the Elements
 There must be a harmony between the message and the medium,
 between the sender and receiver. All the considerations and ele-
 ments are intertwined. But, to explore the complexities of commu-
 nication, we need to separate out certain aspects.
 Since this manual grew out of a particular programme, and most of
 the illustrative material is taken from the messages of that pro-
 gramme, it might be helpful to have an outline of Kenya's On-Farm
 Grain Storage Project-if you are not already familiar with it. You
 will find a brief description in the Annex, page 133.
 In the next chapter we consider the sender of messages-you. We
 will look at the roles and functions of front-line workers within the
 Training and Visit extension system that has been established in
 Kenya and a number of other countries. This will enable us to
 identify the occasions on which you are engaged in communication
 and to discuss the skills and competencies that are needed for a
 successful performance of your functions.


Chapter 1