Volunteer Posts
Making a difference in Ethiopia
November 21, 2011
Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer David Olson returned from an assignment in Ethiopia last month. Enthusiastic about his trip and interactions with his trainees, David explains: “There was such enthusiam of the group to learn [new techniques for meat processing]. Of the volunteer assignments that I’ve done, this was the best demonstration of my 10 years of doing […]
Gender Equity and Women’s Empowerment
November 11, 2011
Winrock’s former Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) intern in Mali offers her thoughts on gender equity and how FtF supports women’s empowerment: Women today benefit from a heightened presence on the political agendas of many governments and international organizations,and awareness about gender equality is at a higher level than ever. This progress notwithstanding, in many countries such as […]
International volunteerism is an ‘unbelievable opportunity’
November 2, 2011
Cliff Wener recently returned from an assignment with Winrock in Bangladesh and had much to say about the benefits of international volunteerism. “It is an unbelievable opportunity to see what the world is all about. Now I see things related to countries I’ve been to, and it makes me a better citizen and helps me […]
Changing Lives in Nepal
October 28, 2011
Seven hours from the Nepalese capital city of Kathmandu, nursery owner Mr. Hari Gautam smiles, with tears in his eyes, overjoyed to see a man who helped him improve his nursery business five years prior. The man, Mr. Howard Prussack, a Winrock volunteer who has lent his time and expertise multiple times to help the […]
Please share your volunteer story!
October 21, 2011
Volunteers are the heart of our Farmer-to-Farmer programs. The unique perspective of each volunteer, and the people-to-people exchange inherent to international volunteerism, are what make these programs successful. The stories we hear from each volunteer remind us every day why we do what we do; and we hope these stories can inspire others to get involved […]
Inspiration from and within a Women’s Cooperative in Mali
October 10, 2011
In May-June 2011, Dr. Julie Heifetz volunteered her time to provide training and guidance to a women’s cooperative in Mali, as part of Winrock’s USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer program. She came to Mali to provide inspiration, and she ended up leaving inspired herself. Reflecting on her experience, Julie offers the following thoughts: “Faso Yirwa Ton Women’s Cooperative was created […]
Volunteers share thoughts on their experiences
September 2, 2011
Volunteers find their assignments to be some of the most professionally rewarding and personally fulfilling work they do. Here are some thoughts that some of our volunteers have shared with us: “Being a volunteer for Winrock allowed me to reconnect with a lifelong passion of working with limited resource farmers. The experience was deeply gratifying at all […]
Tales from a Winrock intern in Mali
June 10, 2011
In January 2011, Justine Lindemann left the US to spend six months with Winrock International as an intern for the Mali Farmer-to-Farmer program. Having previously lived in Senegal and worked as Africa Program Assistant at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Justine had relevant experience -and a lot of enthusiasm- to bring to her assignment in […]
Kathy Colverson Helps Farmers in Kenya, Returns Enriched
May 12, 2011
Kathy Colverson is passionate about volunteering and it shows in the enthusiasm she displays when recounting her own experiences with the USAID John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer program. Colverson has twice taken time away from her job as associate director of program development at the University of Florida’s International Center to offer her experience […]