Volunteer Posts
Impressionable Bonds
July 25, 2012
Volunteer Stephen Veryser returned from his trip to Mali last week and had wonderful words for Winrock’s field team: I had a wonderful experience in Mali on account of all of your support, excellent relationships established the host communities. I was so comfortable in Mali due to the fact that everyone we met and worked […]
Opening Eyes & Making Connections
July 19, 2012
Winrock staff loved hearing from Mark Bevins as he shared his thoughts on his recent Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer assignment in Nigeria: “Personally, this was a great experience for me. The cultural immersion that took place over the past two weeks has opened my eyes to the situations Nigerian beekeepers and the residents as a whole face […]
4th of July Reflections: Part 2
July 2, 2012
Joe Sullivan (who has volunteered six times with Winrock’s Farmer-to-Farmer program) wrote a response so poignant, it deserved its own blog entry. Thank you, Joe, and Happy 4th of July! – There are a couple of sections of President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address that mean a lot to me and seem so consistent […]
4th of July Reflections: Part 1
July 2, 2012
In honor of the upcoming 4th of July holiday, we cannot help but reflect on the symbolism of this important day. All of us here at Winrock are very proud to support such great American volunteers in their quest to help others and participate in people-to-people exchanges that can forever change who they are as […]
Generous Hosts in Bangladesh
June 27, 2012
Dr. Dilip Nandwani spent two weeks in Bangladesh, providing training and guidance to 216 smallholder farmers to improve their home gardens. Reflecting on his own personal impact from his time in Bangladesh, he states: “This has been my first visit to Bangladesh. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience, both professionally and personally. The Bengali people […]
Why Volunteer? Check out this video from Nepal!
June 18, 2012
What is the volunteer experience all about? Watch & listen as two volunteers explain in their own words in this inspiring video: http://youtu.be/9T6A58fVGSY (Thank you to volunteer Jayanika Lawrence who developed the video, and to Tim Blakley and Ann Hazelrigg who are featured!)
“I love this work!”
June 13, 2012
“I love this work. As a professor I do not often get the chance to practice my expertise. These assignments help me fulfill that need. I thoroughly enjoy working with the farmers and hope to keep in touch and continue working with them in some capacity.” –Harvey Pine, Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer, Nigeria [What a great sentiment, […]
The Give & Take of International Volunteerism
June 8, 2012
Volunteering abroad isn’t just an opportunity for Americans to teach others. Nearly all of our volunteers come home having learned or experienced something new themselves. American beekeeper Timothy O’Neal just returned from a volunteer assignment in Ethiopia and had this to share: “Working with the local [African] bees taught me to have a huge amount […]
Building Confidence in Nigeria
June 5, 2012
Dr. Harvey Pine recently completed a volunteer assignment in Nigeria, where he worked with a private aquaculture enterprise to improve the quality of their fish brood stock. Dr. Pine’s trainees were thrilled to recieve his support. “We have been making too many mistakes and wasting money unnecessarily; thank God for USAID/Winrock Farmer-to-Farmer Program and Dr. […]
Excellent Participation in Nepal
May 30, 2012
We love to hear positive feedback from our volunteers and field staff. Here’s the latest update from our most recent volunteer assignment in Nepal: “We finished the day one training here in Pokhara. Amazing!!! Excellent participation, from policy makers to technicians, from Kathmandu to most remote districts! It’s really beyond my expectations, really nice! Dr […]