Volunteer Post
The work was remarkably rewarding
From Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer Richard (Dick) Edwards on his recent assignment in Senegal:
“I have learned a lot about the culture here in Senegal, and while some things are different, I have also experienced many of the same things in other countries.
I developed and presented a workshop on marketing which covered the basic four P’s; product, place, price, and promotion. We met Monday through Friday and had about 25 participants who were primarily small business owners. They were primarily women who have taken the initiative to start their own home based businesses. One is producing syrups with flavoring from native plants. Buyers then add water to base and enjoy a refreshing drink which also, as the marketing flyers pronounce, has several healthy advantages. Another has a small bakery, still another has a catering service and there was an owner of a small on line service offering several food related products.
I had the opportunity to visit several of the participants businesses prior to the workshop and was able to revisit their shops after the workshop and I was delighted see that they had already implemented many of the concepts discussed during the training.
The work was remarkably rewarding in that it allowed me to see the entrepreneurial spirit exhibited by the participants and provided me an opportunity to learn and experience the cultural practices of a country that I had never before visited.”