In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we shine a light on the relentless commitment and passion of Marie Roberte Laurent. As part of Winrock International’s Farmer-to-Farmer program, Marie embarked on an inspiring journey to Senegal, leveraging her extensive expertise in soap-making to train and empower women.

Assignment Overview

Marie’s assignment, our 247th in Senegal, occurred from July 2, 2019 to July 19, 2019. Partnered with the National Agency Of The House Of Tools (ANAMO) and the Tools House Of Mekhe, the primary objective was to train women from various villages on soap-making using agricultural products. The initiative was about crafting soap and instilling confidence, entrepreneurship, and self-sustainability among the participants.

Soap Making in Action

The journey began with meetings and assessments to ensure the right tools and raw materials were available for training. Marie met with stakeholders, understanding their needs and aligning her teaching methods accordingly.

The heart of the assignment was a six-day intensive training program where Marie shared her experiences, technical knowledge, and soap-making secrets with 32 eager women. Participants learned to make various types of soap, including Neem, Moringa, Charcoal, Turmeric, and hotel soap. By the end, each group managed to create their unique soap, a testament to the success of the training.

Nevertheless, Marie’s commitment did not end there. She recognized the lack of access to coconut oil, a crucial ingredient for soap-making, and demonstrated how to produce it. She even tapped into the local environment, showcasing how to craft mosquito repellents from available Neem trees.

Heartfelt Acknowledgment

Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive. Mr. Cheikh SY, Coordinator of House of Tools Mekhé, shared: “We had the honor of participating in your soap training held in the Mekhé house of tools… This experience was very enriching and will necessarily help the participants to excel in the soap factory.” 

Similarly, Mr. Cisse, Director of Operation ANAMO, remarked on the success, emphasizing that the training exceeded their expectations and reinforced the agency’s commitment to support women groups in their soap-making endeavors.

As we celebrate the diverse tapestry of cultures and contributions this Hispanic Heritage Month, Marie Roberte Laurent stands as a beacon of what one person’s passion and knowledge can achieve. Her initiative in Senegal has imparted skills and sown seeds of self-reliance and empowerment. We salute Marie for her outstanding contribution and for epitomizing the spirit of giving and sharing.

Winrock International has completed yet another robust and empowering project in conjunction with the women’s collective of Haldi Potti! This initiative was actualized through the synergistic collaboration of Winrock International’s Farmer-to-Farmer Program and the assiduous volunteer efforts of Mr. Stephen Wood. Haldi Potti represents an industrious women’s assembly encompassing 155 members who constitute the nucleus of the Economic Interest Group (GIE). This formation was facilitated under the auspices of a Peace Corps volunteer. Engaged in the rigorous pursuit of agricultural activities, these women are instrumental in cultivating and processing various crops, including fonio, corn, and peanuts. With the establishment of the GIE, they have earned the eminent status of on-site buyers—a transformational development enabling each woman, along with other contributors engage in activities such as fonio cultivation, mango orchard tending, and harvesting of wild fruits like shea nuts and baobab in Ségou, to directly negotiate and transact their produce with the collective.

Under the scholarly guidance of the volunteer, Mr. Stephen Wood, the host community embarked on an intellectual expedition into international standards, conducting meticulous analyses of diverse fonio products. Embracing a cosmopolitan outlook, the community initiated dialogues with industry visionaries, such as Pierre Thiam of Yolélé, to dissect advanced processing techniques and to pinpoint nascent market vistas. Utilizing their existing well-endowed infrastructure, the host community exhibited an ardent zeal in probing further mechanization possibilities. Motivated by the aspiration to augment product quality while concurrently aligning with the avant-garde advancements in the agricultural arena, they conceptualized a gamut of innovative fonio-based commodities, from scrumptious pilafs to savory chips. This inventive expansion enriched their product assortment and ignited novel concepts to amplify their market presence through actively cultivating relationships with prospective buyers. These alliances stand on the brink of considerably augmenting their revenue flows.

As articulated by Salimatou Diallo, “This training has shed light on the potential of fashioning various sub-products from fonio. Of particular distinction are fonio-based chips, a nutritive alternative for our progeny, and an exhilarating prospective market.” From May 10, 2023, to May 21, 2023, the intellectual and practical odyssey undertaken with Haldi Potti has been delineated by profound revelations, avant-garde ideation, and exceptional growth. The latent potential unleashed through this instructional engagement is situated to burgeon into something of extraordinary significance.

Through the effective facilitation of Winrock International’s Farmer-to-Farmer Program, a critical initiative in the field of community development, Volunteer Assignment #288, centered on disseminating soap and lotion production techniques, was successfully concluded in Guinea. The program, which took place from July 16, 2023, to July 31, 2023, was characterized by a synergistic effort of in-country Volunteer Bara Kasambara and U.S. Volunteer Robert Spencer, who dedicated their expertise and energy to empowering local communities.

Within the first week, Kasambara and Spencer teamed up with the organization La Coopérative des Producteurs d’Arachide, de Beurre de Karité et de Miel (COPRAKAM), stationed in Dabola. They were tasked with guiding participants through the process of cold-process soap fabrication. This procedure required the integration of sodium hydroxide with oils of various types, specifically shea butter and peanut oil, commonly accessible in the local environment. The ensuing training in the second week, conducted in collaboration with Aucune Femme Sans Emploi (AFESE) in Conakry, saw the volunteers imparting knowledge on the fabrication of lotions utilizing emulsifying wax, a key ingredient in lotion production.

For most participants, this training represented their initial encounter with soap and lotion creation. They expressed deep appreciation for the new knowledge acquired and were motivated by the potential revenue generation inherent in the skills developed. Participants who had previously been introduced to the rudiments of soap and lotion production extolled the training, describing it as the most comprehensive they had ever undergone.

The volunteering team derived significant fulfillment from the assignment, evidenced by the transformative impact of their contributions on the trainees, who demonstrated improved confidence and skills. The program’s overarching objective is to equip locals with the technical capabilities to launch microenterprises dedicated to producing quality soaps and lotions using locally sourced agricultural products. This, in turn, is expected to augment local income streams and foster community development.

This endeavor underlines the Farmer-to-Farmer Program’s profound influence in transferring technical expertise to communities on the cusp of economic development. By harnessing the skills and commitment of volunteers, socially marginalized groups are provided with the opportunity to acquire invaluable skills, expanding their economic potential and enhancing their quality of life. Winrock International is unwavering in its commitment to propagate this transformative engagement through the continuous orchestration of high-impact volunteer assignments, such as the recently concluded mission in Guinea.

The world of agriculture is vast and diverse, embracing not just the cultivation of crops but also the numerous creative ways in which these resources can be utilized. Recently, a unique Farmer-to-Farmer project carried out under the aegis of Winrock International has illustrated this eloquently.

In this remarkable initiative, our committed volunteers, Mrs. Ndeye Fatou Ba, and Mr. Robert Spencer, collaborated to impart artisanal soap-making skills to the community of GPM Mankou in Senegal. The primary objective was to enable the beneficiaries to diversify their income sources and elevate the quality of their existing products.

Mrs. Ba, our national volunteer, led the hands-on training activities, sharing soap-making recipes provided by the remote volunteer, Mr. Spencer. This potent mix of local and international knowledge provided a rich learning environment for the participants.

Their combined approach was centered around using local agricultural products, focusing on hygiene and quality standards. The duo demonstrated resourcefulness in their teaching methods, ensuring understanding and effectively overcoming language barriers with professional translations.

The response from the community was overwhelmingly positive. Participants demonstrated an infectious enthusiasm, actively engaged in the training sessions, and raised pertinent questions to deepen their understanding. They grasped the transformational potential of their agricultural resources, appreciating the capacity to turn ordinary plants and herbs into valuable artisanal soaps.

Some participants have already expressed interest in forming a “soapwort team” or working group to apply their newly acquired knowledge further. The aim? To take this newfound craft to new heights and add an impressive dimension to their agricultural work.

The impact of this Farmer-to-Farmer project is best captured by the words of Madame Mariama BA, who is responsible for the women’s committee of GPM Mankou. She shares, “We will now be able to add more value to our plants and herbs. We have a lot of different things we can use to make soap, and they are medicinal. This soap-making training really opened our eyes to let us know we are in a rich environment. Thank you to Mrs. Ba and Robert Spencer.”

This transformative project by Winrock International demonstrates the immense possibilities of combining agricultural practices with ingenuity and creativity. Through this initiative, we are proud to contribute to the enrichment of local communities, promoting economic diversity, and enhancing the standard of their goods. Here is to more successes, learnings, and breakthroughs in the journey ahead!

When it comes to progress and development, the role of education must be considered. A shift in mindset is often the first step towards a more equitable society. In a bid to instigate this shift in rural Nigeria, Winrock International’s Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program recently embarked on a groundbreaking initiative in partnership with the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAHPT), Vom, Plateau State.

The mission? To educate staff at FCAHPT on the critical importance of gender equity in decision-making, fostering a broader and more informed perspective on gender-related policies. The workshop was led by our dedicated volunteer, Sandra Ross, whose expertise was fundamental to the success of this mission. Upon arrival, our F2F team dove straight into work, holding critical discussions with crucial departments, including the Development and Linkage Unit, the Gender Unit, the Provost, and the college’s management team. The staff was divided into two groups for a thorough three-day workshop. Covering diverse topics such as gender concepts, social construction, terminology, violence, analysis framework, and mainstreaming, this workshop aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of gender equity and its significance in modern society. The educational initiative culminated in a seminar for 309 students, promoting gender awareness and the importance of equity in everyday interactions. Following this seminar, a debriefing session was held with the college leadership, highlighting the improvements and impacts of the assignment.

What were the outcomes? Beyond expectation. The staff members began implementing the gender solutions learned during the training, leading to tangible shifts in perception and behavior. The participants reported making changes in their homes and classrooms, distributing tasks equally regardless of gender. One such success story comes from Isiaku Abdullahi, a Development and Linkage Unit faculty member. Isiaku shared his experience of shifting tasks traditionally assigned to his son to his daughter, promoting a culture of equality in his home.

He shared, “There is an assignment I always gave to the boy every morning, but yesterday when we talked about equity and equality, I decided to treat my children differently from how I normally treated them. I now decided to ask the girl to carry out that task as well as supported her to do it. She ended up doing it better than the brother. This morning she asked me if she would be the one performing that task going forward and I said yes. If there is anything I have taken away from this workshop, it is that aspect of equity and equality.“

The F2F program’s initiative shows that change, no matter how incremental, can make a significant difference in our society. Through education and awareness, we can challenge the status quo, paving the way for a more equitable world. While much work is needed, the progress made at FCAHPT is a step in the right direction. The assignment’s conclusion is not the end but the beginning of a more informed and equitable society in Plateau State and beyond.