For this month’s Volunteer of the Month, we honor Kirk Astroth (above center), Assistant Dean and Director of Arizona 4-H Development at the University of Arizona.

A couple of us first met Kirk in January 2014. We were instantly struck by his warmth and passion for youth development. After spending just an hour with Kirk, we knew he would be an excellent volunteer. We were right.

Seven months later, Kirk went on his first Winrock volunteer assignment, under our USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer program in Nepal. He made a deep impression on his trainees, who were representatives from the National Youth Federation of Nepal (NYFN) and other youth-serving organizations. (more…)

Dr. Scott Haskell shares how his Farmer-to-Farmer assignment in Myanmar impacted him:

I was happy to see my assignment progress from the very first day to the last! What fantastic work, help and evaluation everyone at the Myanmar Livestock Development Company [my host organization] provided me!  The joy in participation was palpable. I felt honored to be able to offer a training program and subsequent assessment that empowered staff and administration to understand the HACCP food safety process. There was a sense that the training program had a positive impact on everyone.  The participants were eager to implement the program recommendations.

As always, the learning was two ways — I learned about the culture, about Myanmar, about the situation of women within the veterinary profession, and about food safety and security in Myanmar.

My project in Myanmar was the most positive of my many and varied global assignments to date.

[Thanks very much, Scott, for your hard work!]

Get ready to be inspired! Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer Dr. Leslie Edgar, Associate Professor and Director of International Programs at the University of Arkansas, shares her thoughts after completing her assignment in Bangladesh: 

“Some days it is hard for me to count all the blessings I’ve been given. Today, was one of those days.

I’ve spent the past week in Dhaka, Bangladesh. During this time, I’ve missed my husband, children, family, friends, students, and colleagues. I’ve missed my home, farm, car, and the everyday conveniences I usually take for granted. I knew my time in Bangladesh would be short so one of my graduate students, Bo/David Williford, and I have worked hard to deliver a training for Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) principals and senior students enrolled at the IUBAT—International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, review the current agricultural communications curriculum used at the university, and prepare student informational seminars. Our work here has focused on improved communication and education strategies to improve agriculture in the country. Because of my responsibilities and time constraints, I haven’t had much time to reflect on the opportunity I’ve been given by Winrock International and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). (more…)

A Note about My Second Trip to Bangladesh 2015, by Dr. Y. Martin Lo, Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer in Bangladesh:

“My assignment was quickly adjusted due to political strike on the street, yet it turned out to be more effective than I expected. The leaders at Winrock office and CCBA (Cold Chain Bangladesh Alliance) were highly instrumental and dynamic to organize a three-day session on GAPs (Good Agriculture Practices) in Dhaka, followed by a second set of three-day training in Jessore, the heart of agriculture zone for Bangladesh, which was decided last-minute when they made sure the street conditions were fit for travel. I was impressed by the great turnout at the Dhaka office while the traffic was severely impacted by road blockages throughout the city. Everyone managed to come to the training on time, and the learning and discussion were both very engaged and rewarding. We were able to analyze current Bangladesh practices to pinpoint where improvements should be made.

The day after arrival at Jessore we were able to pay a special visit to the farming communities nearby. I was amazed by the great turnout with such a short notice and the in-depth discussion with 20-25 farmers who are eager to upgrade their operations. There were fields after fields of beautifully grown vegetables without any empty land. The farmers kindly showed us the fields of eggplants, cauliflower, potatoes, and tomatoes. It was a nice walk through the farmland on a breezy afternoon. (more…)

We are continuously inspired by the excellent technical work and the lasting people-to-people connections forged by Winrock’s Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers. What better day to celebrate their efforts than today, National Agriculture Day!

Since 1991, Winrock volunteers have completed more than 5,400 assignments in 56 countries. Each of our volunteers has played an important part in strengthening international agriculture, and essentially, helping to feed the world.

Special thanks to the 16 American volunteers who are currently on assignment today! These brilliant and dedicated women and men are sharing their expertise to:

• develop new, demand-driven courses at Guinea’s agriculture university
• train trainers and service providers to support youth entrepreneurship in Bangladesh and Nepal
• strengthen farmer and fishers associations in Myanmar
• develop new agriculture curriculum in Bangladesh
• improve technical skills and service delivery to support dairy and goat production in Nepal
• train lead farmers on drip irrigation in Senegal
• introduce improved teaching methods for university-level agriculture courses in Mali

Check out our Facebook page to see photos of recent volunteers in action!https://www.facebook.com/pages/Winrock-Volunteers/267409859955100

Happy Agriculture Day!