SPOKEs

SPecialised Outreach and Knowledge Establishments

Our centres are designed within a “Hub and SPOKE” model. 

While the hub is the physical centre, such as the ACES Rubirizi campus, SPOKEs are being developed in strategic locations, with expertise tailored to specific areas to demonstrate how these solutions can be deployed practically across the continent.  

What are SPOKEs?

Other key elements of a SPOKE include: 

• Farmers – making a financial commitment to a co-operative. 
• The co-operative – investigating and developing their own financial models

Register interest for a SPOKE

Complementing these, another key overarching pillar in the wider programme is training future trainers who can then go out and work either developing the model in their own communities or create a career supporting other communities. We also run a variety of underpinning foundation, policymaker and wider training programmes (in-person and online), including technical training for refrigeration engineers as well as health and safety and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) courses.

Interested in the "hub and SPOKE" model? Contact: [email protected]

Essential reading

We have trained 2,000+ across Africa and are setting course to double capacity during 2026

18th Nov 2025

Having provided hands-on training to more than 2,000 farmers, technicians, and policymakers, we are now preparing for a significant scale-up of provision in 2026.

Training Technician Refrigeration Policymakers GESI Farmers Capacity Building & Training ACES

Read full article

ACES graduate hopes to become Rwanda's leading supplier of rabbit meat

17th Nov 2025

Albertine Uwajeneza, a cold chain technician and rabbit farmer from Muhanga, Rwanda, is hoping to use cold chain technology to supply rabbit meat to upmarket bars, restaurants and supermarkets across the country.

ACES Cold-chain Critical Infrastructure Entrepreneurs & Innovators Farmers Festival of cooling Market Needs & Consumer Behaviour Refrigeration Technician Value Addition

Read full article

Picture of the week: Female Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (RAC) technicians

14th Nov 2025

Female Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (RAC) technicians from the Regional Network for Anglophone Africa Training Workshop visit ACES to learn and exchange knowledge.

ACES Capacity Building & Training GESI Refrigeration Training

Read full article

Optimising the Vaccine Cold-Chain for Resilient Immunisation in Africa

14th Nov 2025

We are helping to pioneer climate-smart and data-driven approaches to optimise vaccine cold-chain performance and strengthen One Health resilience.

Critical Infrastructure Climate Resilience Africa Solar Vaccine Cold-chain Vaccines ACES Rwanda Resilience Refrigeration One Health & Resilience One Health

Read full article