Ed Levi just returned from a trip to Ethiopia, where he completed his Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer assignment working with two different beekeeping organizations. The trainees are eager to start putting his recommendations into place and to see their beekeeping activities flourish as a result. Reflecting on his trip, Ed says:

I always gain from meeting new friends, learning more about other cultures and learning other ways of seeing beekeeping as an enterprise. We came out of these trainings with true cross-culture warmth. My greatest joy of doing these assignments is coming away feeling that my knowledge and experience can be adapted to local conditions and that the lives of individuals, families and communities can be enhanced. Whenever possible, I appreciate hearing about the improvements that have been actualized as well as the problems that have been encountered. This group truly showed excitement in learning new concepts. I would love to see these concepts turn into true gains.

Ed in action:

Receiving a gift from his host:

October 11 is the (first ever) International Day of the Girl Child. Over the years, our volunteers have made a difference in the lives of many girls, whether it be by providing agricultural, entrepreneurship, or skills training to youth (girls and boys), or by increasing incomes and food security at the household level –to ensure that girls (and boys) have food to eat and money to pay for school fees or healthcare.

Last month, two volunteers – Hans Schmitz and William Horan from Purdue University –traveled to Ethiopia to work with girls and caretakers at Sebeta Getesemani Nunnery/Orphanage in Oromia, Ethiopia. Established in 1961, the Nunnery is situated on the premises of the former Palace of Empress Menen. There are approximately 85 Orthodox Christian nuns and 215 orphans at the nunnery – all women and girls. Many of the orphans have lost their parents to HIV/AIDs, famine, or civil wars. The nunnery has cows that provide milk as well as dairy products (yogurt and butter) that the women and girls use for self-consumption and for sale to the local community. Likewise, the nunnery has agriculture fields where they grow a variety of cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables.

While Hans conducted an informative training on dairy cattle management, Bill got the nuns and students excited about agriculture and life skills learning (demonstrating how to conduct practical soil fertility and pH tests, how to make compost, and aspects of conservation agriculture). Although the trainings took place during the rainy season, the skies were mostly clear, and Hans and Bill were able to mix their classroom training with hands-on field training. (See photos below)

Volunteer Hans Schmitz talks with Sebeta Getesemani Nunnery/Orphanage staff and youth about improved dairy practices

The manager of the nunnery, Emahoy Firkter Mariam, is grateful for the support that they received.

“These two training sessions helped us to know the type of soil in our garden and what the dairy cows need from us to give us back good milk yield,” she explains. “My fellow nuns and youth gained life skills on soil testing techniques and dairy cow management. Looking at the committment of these volunteers from USA, we learned how much volunteerism means to members of the orphanage community. Thanks for coordinating and materializing this volunteer assignment!”

Hans and Bill were fortunate in that their assignment happened to overlap with the Ethiopian New Year holiday celebration. Both first time visitors to Ethiopia, they celebrated the day at the nunnery. The orphans performed dances, and Hans and Bill were offered a feast of Ethiopian food. Towards the end of his trip, Bill commented, “It was neat to see a new culture.”

Today, we celebrate the efforts of Hans and Bill, along with so many other volunteers who have dedicated their time to make the world a better place for girls around the world.

Happy International Day of the Girl Child!

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 of respect not only for these amazingly strong bees, but for the beekeepers who work with them. I look forward to sharing their wisdom and knowledge with other beekeepers at home [in the US] to improve our own practices.”

We are honored to work with so many dedicated volunteers! This past year, 73 Winrock volunteers received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for their time and outstanding service as volunteers! –Two of these volunteers received a gold award for dedicating more than 500 hours in one year; eight volunteers received a silver award for 250 hours of service; and 63 volunteers received a bronze award in recognition of more than 100 hours of volunteer work.

Here are just a few photos of some of these volunteers in action:

Howard Prusack in Nepal

Anais Triadic in Mali

Kamal Hyder in El Salvador

John Woiwode in Bangladesh

David Pearce in Ethiopia

Thanks so much to each of you for your extraordinary efforts!

Volunteer Richard Underhill traveled to Ethiopia last month, to share his knowledge with Ethiopian beekeepers. He had a great trip, which he recounts on his blog: http://peacebeefarm.blogspot.com/2012_03_01_archive.html 

Here’s an excerpt from his blog below. Thanks Richard!!

It is a long trip from Proctor, Arkansas to Bonga, Ethiopia. It’s 21 hours in the air at six hundred miles per hour, stopping at Atlanta, Amsterdam, Khartoum, and Addis Ababa. And then it’s almost two more days by truck, stopping regularly for goats, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is a cosmopolitan city. Ethiopians call it “The Capital of Africa.” The African Union meets in this colorful, flowered city. Diplomats, tourists, engineers, and business leaders are seen on the streets. The traffic in the city of four million is similar to that of American cities. Drivers negotiate busy intersections with their vehicle’s horn because there are no traffic signals. Traffic officers referee the larger intersections. Newcomers, like me, are surprised to see small herds of sheep, goats, or cattle on city streets. Driving out of the city, the sight of animals becomes the norm. The people of Ethiopia hold a strong connection to their animals. After leaving the capital city, one sees a continuous flow of humans and animals on foot along the roads. People walk with their donkeys laden with goods for the market, or they carry a plow by hand as they follow their oxen to the field to plow. Young boys herd drought-thinned cattle to rivers for water or to fields to forage. Near the small towns, two-wheeled horse carts called “garis” and three-wheeled “bajajs,” diesel-powered, enclosed rickshaws, serve as taxis. Buses carry passengers between towns, and large trucks carry sacks of coffee, grain, fuel, and goods to markets.
I knew that I had arrived in the land of Ethiopia’s forest honey when I saw the weathered sign on the side of the road. The sign proclaimed “The Town of Bees” in Amharic. Two traditional bee hives stand on the highlands above the Great Rift Valley with volcanoes in the background. The cylindrical hives are adorned with honey bees, modern bee hives, and honey. Endemic Limich plants top the hives.
–Richard