The fourth in our series of introductory blogs again comes from Senegal, which has the largest number of Winrock F2F staff in-country. 

My name is Youssouph Sane and I’m one of the Winrock Drivers. After I earned a Baccalaureate degree I joined the Army for two years where I got my military driving license which afterward turned it to a civil driving license.

I then worked for security companies like Phoenix and Sagam. For Sagam, I was posted as a vigil in a bank. After work, I used to volunteer as a driving school instructor for one year and a half. I was inspired when English people who came to the bank needed help and I struggled to give them information with my low-level English. So I started English classes for four hours a week. It was not enough for me but it was fine. After 4 years I got a promotion as a driver in the Sagam security company so I  stopped English classes. It was an opportunity and an experience for me to become familiar with Senegalese traffic regulations and I realized really how hard it is to drive in a big city like Dakar for more than eight hours a day or at night without stopping. One day, as I was passing by Winrock’s office I saw the Winrock sign and thought to apply for a job; so I did and was called for an interview. A couple of weeks later I got the job.

My favorite pastimes are exercising; watching soccer and movies on tv; being with my lovely daughters and conversing with people.

Working for an American company was my dream because of their hardworking attitude, seriousness, and pay. It is also an opportunity to improve my English.

I have learned a lot from F2F volunteers about pruning, making compost, and constructing drip irrigation from local material but I haven’t applied any of the volunteers’ technique so far because I have yet to have the opportunity. Volunteers helped me a lot because being with them pushes me to practice English and now I know many things about American culture.

Pick up/drop off, assisting for the volunteers and supporting the staff are the most interesting parts of my job.

Once there was a volunteer who didn’t find her luggage when she arrived at Dakar’s airport. So we canceled the trip for the next day; therefore, she stayed in Dakar longer than planned. In order to catch up and not change her training agenda, we had to make the return trip in one day, therefore, we traveled the whole day from Kolda to Dakar (a 7-10 hour car ride) and it was very tough journey because of the distance.

Senegal Team

This is the second installment of introductory blogs written by our wonderful field staff. Today is from our friendly driver from Nigeria!  

My name is Ndah Blessing, a staff of Winrock in Nigeria since November 2011. All things being equal I should graduate with a BSc in Mass Communication by the year 2020 from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Before I joined Winrock, I worked with an international school called Global International College as the Utility and Logistics Manager. My hobbies are listening to some good music, watching football, playing table tennis and traveling. My interest in working with an international organization had always existed, so my employment with Winrock International was an answered prayer. Working and interacting with Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers in different areas of agricultural value chains has given me the opportunity to learn and become an expert of some sort in different skill areas and value chains – for instance, I have used the knowledge I have received in beekeeping to help family, friends, and members of my church to establish and manage beekeeping operations – these I do without any fee. Many times I have leveraged my fluency in the local Hausa language and stepped in to further explain lessons/ provide contexts/ names of materials, etc. during assignments.

The most interesting aspect of the job to me is when working under pressure. For example, in the summer of 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 when we had a lot of volunteers arriving almost at the same time; which meant all but one of us were traveling to support the volunteers – it went smoothly, thanks to the Country Director, Mr. Mike Bassey who prepared us and trusted us and gave us the opportunity to handle this level of responsibility. One of my most memorable moments was when I traveled with a volunteer, Mr. Bill Symons, to Kaduna to teach a group of equipment fabricators on how to fabricate a grains thresher and after the initial introduction to the host community on a Friday where everybody was in high spirit to learn, there was an incident the following Sunday resulting in the government imposing a dusk to dawn curfew and we had to remain in the hotel all through the week. An opportunity came the following weekend when the government relaxed the curfew for four hours a day to allow Muslims go to the mosque on Friday and Christians go to church on Sunday as well as allow families to replenish their supplies, the Country Director arranged for us to get fuel and for a military escort to escort us to Abuja.

For me to pull that through was the proudest and most memorable experience on the job; the reason being that at Winrock International, our volunteers, come first. Winrock International provides a one-stop shop opportunity to work and to learn, grow, make decisions, work with minimal supervision – even under work pressure because as a staff of Winrock International, there are many opportunities for you to showcase your strengths. I remain grateful to God for the opportunity given to me to work with Winrock International.

Thanks.

We are a few months into the newest cycle of Farmer-to-Farmer, a program that along with our skilled volunteers, could not be accomplished without the hard work of those in the field. Over the next few months, we will introduce you to some of the amazing people that help make the volunteer’s assignment run so smoothly. The below is translated from French. 

My name is Mamadou Bailo Diallo, I am a Winrock – International, F2F-Guinea, driver. I was born in 1981 in the Mali prefecture, in the Republic of Guinea, Conakry, I’m married and the father of two (2) children, one of which is a daughter.

Among the key tasks I perform are:

• Maintenance of the vehicle so it always in good condition;
• Plan the maintenance and/or periodic repairs;
• Ensure the project staff transportation;
• Update the logbook and drive  professionally;
• Take pictures on assignments
• Perform any other tasks assigned to me.

I have driven for Winrock since December 15, 2015. Before that, I drove for the African Training Center for Development.

Following studies at the National School of Breeding of TOLO – Mamou between 2004-2006, I got a diploma for a technical officer for livestock. I then graduated with a degree of a technician (BTS) at the National School of Agriculture and Breeding of Koba/Boffa in 2013.

My Hobbies include reading, traveling, watching TV, walking, going to movies and playing sports.

The reasons that have motivated me to apply and work with F2F of Winrock in Guinea are many and varied:

• The importance of this program is crucial in the development of our communities through farmers (associations, groups, unions, and federations) and particularly that of the development of our agricultural including the educational institutions that I graduated from; My work with this program funded by USAID, and accomplished through technical assistance from American volunteers has allowed me to gain enormous experience at all levels and makes me very useful to the rest of the members of the communities in which I live. I stay grateful to the American taxpayer for its help to the development of my country;
• My regular contact with volunteers has allowed me to improve how I express myself in English, and by maintaining exchanges with the volunteers on many topics, also get familiar with American culture;
• Within the team Farmer-to-Farmer Winrock-Guinea, we cultivate team spirit and the respect for the principles and values that everyone maintains

The most interesting moments for me doing this work:  When I get to share information with the Country Director on the ongoing operation of the program and when he asks everyone to give their opinion on the progress of implemented activities and to propose planning items for future programs.

A few special times I have had with volunteers include, among many, the field visits and tourist attractions. I once talked to Drs. McKim and Sorensen, who worked on institutional assessment and plan for Center for Post Primary Professional Training of Macenta while we were walking through Ziama’s forest looking for elephants.

I have gained much experience in being able to participate in several trainings. For example:

• On Gender and Equity with Madame Annais, which had a follow-up conference at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Dalaba.
• On Phytosanitary products and their use with Dr. Damisi in Kankan
• And most recently, on my training with U.GAS with Dr. Diop about associated crops cultures and composting techniques.

Its National Volunteer Week! This week we celebrate all the great work volunteers do around the world to build up communities by dedicating their skills, time and energy. We are also taking the time to look towards the future and all the great opportunities that can still be met. 

Since 1991, Winrock has fielded over 6,200 skilled professionals as volunteers on development programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eurasia, impacting thousands of people worldwide. Winrock continues to seek volunteers with a wide range of experience, including but not limited to:

Technical areas: agribusiness, entrepreneurship, marketing, international trade, food processing, access to credit, farming, agricultural sciences, nutrition, livestock development, natural resource management, community development, renewable energy, gender, education and training, engineering, and information communications technologies.

General capacity building: business planning, organizational development, management, finance and administration, human resource development, and fundraising.

Under our current West Africa Farmer to Farmer program the following countries have open opportunities:

Guinea

Business Planning to Secure Financing

ToT on Leadership and Organizational Development

Nigeria

AET Institutional Assessment and Action Plan Development- FCAHPT Ibadan

Building Faculty Pedagogical Skills to Effectively Deliver AET Curricula

Training-the-Trainers Workshop in Self-Assessment and Improvement for Universities

Building Capacity to Monitor and Evaluate Learner Success and Institutional Effectiveness

Senegal

Enriched Flour Production and Value-Added Flour Product Development

ToT on Soap Making with Agriculture products for ANAMO

Packaging, Labeling and Marketing of Processed Products

With many more to come over the next five years!

If you are interested in gaining new cultural experiences, sharing your expertise with an international audience and creating lifelong memories and friends please visit our website https://winrock.org/volunteer-application/ to apply.

You, too, can volunteer to make a difference.

At the beginning of 2019, Winrock staff from West Africa traveled to the U.S. to discuss the last five years and the next five years of the Farmer-to-Farmer program with other implementing partners. Afterward, everyone on Winrock’s F2F team met, some for the first time, in Washington, D.C., to discuss changes and new ideas. One of those team members was Papa D, who was making his first trip outside of Senegal: 

I am pleased to share my amazing and instructive experience in the United States with Winrock International Farmer-to-Farmer program. After my degree in economic planning and organizations management, I had worked with three local NGOs and one private bank between December 2009 and August 2015. Here I learned of the challenges and opportunities of development throughout the country. I joined Winrock International on its F2F program team in September 2015, which was my first experience working for an international organization. After three years working with American volunteers, I was curious to discover how life is in the U.S and what differences there really are. Luckily, I was then given an opportunity by Winrock International to travel to America!

Farmer-to-Farmer implementing family

My first experience of the U.S. was in Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend the USAID F2F Program Core Implementer Partners meeting. This was an additional motivation for me to come because I realized I am a member of a big team developing global strategies. My favorite panel was the volunteers’ when they discussed challenges and solutions for first-time volunteers. I also visited a farmers market and North Carolina University greenhouses. These activities gave me a better understanding of the American context and will help me better communicate with the volunteers during their assignments.

After Raleigh, I went to Washington D.C., and during the weekend we were able to visit the White House and the African American History Museum. Also, in D.C., I spent two days of training, information exchange, best practices sharing and brainstorming on challenges and targets for the F2F program in the next five years, with Winrock HQ and field staff team from West Africa.

Many thanks to Winrock International and the USAID Farmer to Farmer Program for giving me this opportunity to increase my commitment, have a better understanding of the F2F philosophy and to exchange with worldwide F2F staff. This trip will impact positively my thoughts and understandings about the F2F program.

Many staff at HQ were curious about what Papa D did to prepare for his first trip out of Senegal to the United States and many other aspects of his journey. We developed a Q&A and Papa D provided answers below:

What did you do to prepare for your first trip to the USA and the colder temperatures?

I started with going to YouTube and collecting weather information in Raleigh and Washington and advice for colder temperatures. I also use YouTube to collect information related to flights, airport instructions and process and how to pack your bag.

Some of the great West Africa staff! Papa D is on the far left, all bundled up! Along with Ibro, Guinea Country Director; Mina, Ghana Country Director; Mike, Nigeria Country Director; and Bara, Mali Country Director

What kinds of things did you pack?

More than five jackets, gloves, hats, Senegalese coffee, tea and sugar.

What did the snow feel like to you when you picked it up?

It feels wonderful and extraordinary for the first time.

What kinds of things surprised you about America?

Lovely people, transportation services and the environmental aspects. The American sun was not hot; it was as if it was only for light.

What was your favorite things to eat and drink? Why? What did they taste like?

Chicken sandwich and donuts. I have seen them many times in movies and I had to test them. They tasted different from what I am used to but good.

Were there things that you did not like about the USA? What were they? Why/why not?

Security in the airport.

Talk about your other experiences?

My experience of shopping was very impressive, how shops are organized and large, client services quality and various products you can find in the same place. Another thing was automatic payments machines with cash or card. Self Checkout!

Can you discuss your tea parties? Inviting people to share a Senegalese experience with you in America.

Yes, tea parties can be called “Senegal hours.” I feel close to my country and it was something I wanted to share with others.

Anything else to share? 

In addition, I learned how things are well organized compare to my country (like the Metro).