Starting out with the Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Bolivia in 1987, I have had a long history of many projects in many countries. Most of my work has been in Latin America since I am fluent in Spanish from my wonderful Peace Corps years in Guatemala 40 years ago. A few years ago I decided to branch out into other regions with my work in soil erosion, agroforestry, and organic agriculture. In 2014 I accepted my first assignments in Asia to provide assistance in Burma and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, I worked in two small villages with a host named, “Hunger Free World,” on organic farming and farmer made input production. I was prepared for the beautiful green landscape I learned about through photos in books and magazines, but what I was not prepared for were the amazing people who befriended me in the time honored tradition of “being the guest.” I am looking forward to hopefully coming again in the near future.

F2F volunteer, Charles Mitchell, in Bangladesh demonstrating how to prepare an organic fungicide mixture to spray on vegetables to control fungal diseases

Small farmers around the world are eager to learn about organic farming techniques and ways they can improve soil and control diseases and insect pests using natural methods and safer inputs for the environment and human health. Profitability can improve since costs of production can be lowered. My three to four day workshops generally attracted around 30 participants including farmers, NGO staff, and a few government/university personnel. We spent the mornings in classroom discussions and the afternoons in hands-on demonstrations of fertilizer, fungicide, and insect repellent production. This is where the participants got really excited, but I made them sit through the classroom part to give the foundational principals of organic farming. Organic farming is more than input substitution of synthetic chemicals with natural products. Soil building comes first, then prevention, then inputs such as fertilizer and pest control materials. Farmers, including American farmers, seem to want to first reach for the bag or the bottle. Organic teaches a different way of thinking, where these products come last and not first.

In Myanmar, I volunteered to teach organic agriculture. Part of my workshops entailed hands-on demonstrations of farmer made input production. These were well received with enthusiasm. There were usually one or two participants who were especially keen to understand these formulations.

U Myo Naing’s EM product

On my first trip, one farmer in particular, was at my elbow the whole time recording in notes and video everything I said. On my second trip, a year later, to do similar workshops in a different part of the country, I was asked if I wanted to go see a farmer who seemed to be doing some of the things I was talking about. We went, and to my surprise, there was that same farmer, U Myo Naing, who was managing an organic farm with 5-6 other employees and using many of the organic preparations I had taught including: fungicides, insect repellents, bio-fertilizers and Effective Microorganisms(EM) compounds. Wow, I thought, rarely does a volunteer actually see their efforts put in action, due to the short term nature of our work! I recently returned to Myanmar for a third time, and the Winrock staff informed me that they had recently visited U Myo Naing’s small facility where he was manufacturing and selling various organic inputs on a commercial level.

This rewarding view occurs rarely in a short-term volunteer’s world. These are the small things, and satisfactions which happen in varying degrees. Most pleasures in volunteering are the daily interactions we are given in working with people of different cultures, but sometimes we are rewarded with the ultimate, and that is adoption of some of our ideas!

Charles Mitchell in Bangladesh giving instructions on how to prepare an insect repellent using organic ingredients and various plant leaves to spray on any kind of plant or crop to control insects.

Participant pouring oils into caustic solution

Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers, Marie Laurent and Robert Spencer, spent their time in Burma (also known as Myanmar) providing training on soap making and spa candles using bees wax to nearly 60 members of the Shwe Inn Thu Women’s Self Help Groups. They are an organization based out of Nyaung Shwe and include surrounding villages in Southern Shan State. The activities on soap making included demonstrations and safety training, use of agro-products in the soaps, multiple hands-on trainings, enterprise budgeting, and marketing for disadvantaged women. Both volunteers and trainees identified and utilized locally available agro-products (vegetables, produce, etc.) as value-added ingredients in the soap production.

Training in the village of Pauk Par Taung was very unique as the entire village lives and works in structures (houses, businesses, and restaurants) built above the water of Inlay Lake.  It is more than just a sleepy fishing village, as many of the people raise vegetables on floating gardens and farm plots, and export the vegetables to nearby cities.  Textile production (silk and cotton) is also prevalent in Pauk Par Taung.  Year round tourism is very beneficial for this area, making for an ideal situation for production and sale of hand-crafted soaps and other skin care products.

Uniquely wrapped soaps

Cold-process soap making is a fairly common artisan skill practiced around the world. Ingredients include food-grade oils, sodium hydroxide (as an emulsifier), and the artisan’s choice of ingredients. One group was exceptionally enthusiastic when it came to identifying and utilizing locally available agro-products (seaweed, coconut, lotus silk, tomato, cucumber, water hyacinth and other aquatic flowers, herbs, etc.) as value-added ingredients in the soap production. On the final day of training, the volunteers and participants returned to Nyaung Shwe where the groups learned about packaging and displays to enhance product marketability. They quickly caught on to identifying potential marketing situations applicable to their area. Each of the participants were given the opportunity to wrap and showcase their soaps and their creativity showed.

Groups with recent batch of soaps

Since 1985, the United Nations (UN) has celebrated International Youth Day as a way to provide “international support to improve the situation of young people” and focus on the issues that affect youth around the globe.

Winrock’s USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program in Bangladesh and Nepal engages skilled American volunteers to provide training and technical assistance to support youth entrepreneurship in the agriculture sector. In May 2016, F2F volunteer Neelam Canto-Lugo saw firsthand the direct impact that these programs can have on the lives of young people. Canto-Lugo heard about the F2F program several years ago from a colleague and former Winrock volunteer, and although she was anxious to volunteer herself, she patiently waited for an assignment that was the perfect fit.

Volunteer, Neelam, with training participants from the Women Development Advocacy Center

“Since I am not a scientist or an engineer, I really had to search for a project where I could share my expertise in interpersonal relationship building, career development techniques, and communication skills – all essential to empower women and youth,” she said. “[My assignment] provided exactly the opportunity I had been seeking [in order] to fulfill my desire to serve women and youth in rural Nepal and to make […] a positive change towards their future.”

In Nepal, Canto-Lugo worked with the Women Development Advocacy Center (WDAC) to assist youth, women, and community organizers by providing training on technical proposal writing, career development strategies, and effective communication techniques.

Canto-Lugo’s time in Nepal had such a profound impact on her that she returned home determined to raise funds and collect computers for WDAC’s digital literacy project, which provides computer training to economically disadvantaged women in the Dhanusha district and places them as teachers in rural schools. To date, she has raised $3,200, received a donation of three laptops, and is expecting additional laptops and funds in the coming weeks.

“I am so very thankful to my community for supporting their fellow citizens across the world. This also shows that we are all connected by the human thread no matter where we are destined to reside.”

Can you tell us about your experience working with WDAC in Nepal?

I encountered the most dedicated and committed group of individuals who are enthusiastic and determined to find sources and strategies to improve the economic and social conditions of women and youth.

The high school graduates and young participants were given an opportunity to brainstorm in small groups and describe their areas of need. As part of the training, they learned to write clear resumes, effective cover letters, and [participate in] mock interviews. They informed me that they had never before participated in a training where they got to present their views and issues. In the past, they were often asked to simply listen. In return, I was extremely impressed by their final written work and oral presentations.

What did you enjoy most about your F2F assignment?

I was most impressed by the eagerness of the participants to learn much needed soft skills and their desire to implement them in their work and personal lives. It was heartwarming to experience the enthusiasm they displayed to improve their lives and the lives of others. I saw a tremendous spirit of volunteerism among the youth who were kind, respectful, and willing to share their limited resources with others.

The same respectful attitude, hospitality, and kindness was shown by the very delightful staff at the Winrock office in Kathmandu. Very rarely have I encountered such kindness and affection in the countries that I have traveled. I encountered so many young men and women who have become my lifelong friends.

Why do you think it is important that we focus on issues affecting youth?

In rural areas of Nepal, as in many nations, the youth are often at a disadvantage due to lack of educational excellence, technology, digital access, and employment opportunities. The trainees in my [teaching] sessions regularly expressed these concerns. They must be trained and made ready to compete with the students in urban areas and excel in job skills so they can fully participate in the modern world.

What inspired you to continue your work with the host by raising funds and seeking computers for their digital literacy project?

I was inspired to support the host by the sincere and enthusiastic response of the trainees in Janakpur and Kathmandu. I was overwhelmed by the altruistic attitude of the participants, many of whom were themselves facing very difficult situations and challenges. I was also moved and impressed by the incredible vision and undying dedication of Nanda Kishor Mandal, founder and director of WDAC, and Pradip Dutta, district coordinator in Dhanusha. [They] have been working tirelessly to bring hope and progress in the lives of the underprivileged in the Terai region. The fact that they selected Dhanusha instead of a more privileged area of Nepal speaks to their sincerity. They work day and night toward their goal in spite of limited resources.

To learn more about WDAC and their work with women and youth in Nepal, visit WDAC.org.np. For more information about volunteering with Winrock, visit winrock.org/join-us/volunteer/.

Winrock International Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer, Robin Vora, recently retired from the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon and traveled to Burma (also known as Myanmar) in February 2016 to provide training to local, non-profit staff with FREDA (Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association). The objective was to improve knowledge and capacity of FREDA members and field staff on environmental conservation and climate change so they could:

• train local communities and reach more beneficiaries (train the trainer approach)
• apply the new knowledge effectively during project identification, design, and implementation to improve environmental sustainability

Vora was accompanied by FREDA and Winrock staff on a 3-day trip to the Ayeyarwaddy River Delta and a 3-day visit to the “Dry Zone” near Mindon. Following the field visits, he conducted a workshop in Yangon on environmental conservation and climate change, and related topics including an introduction to land-use and project planning, biosphere reserves, environmental education, and disaster response. (more…)

This article is a contribution to a four-week blog series celebrating 30 years of USAID’s John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program.

Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers build the capacity of all types of agriculture sector hosts — including farmers associations, agribusinesses, agriculture education and training  providers, government agencies, and NGOs. Volunteer experts have helped host organizations develop governance structures and strategic plans; improve operations and increase efficiencies; diversify and improve services and products… and so much more.

Nothing speaks more highly of the quality and value of volunteer assistance than feedback from the hosts themselves:

“[F2F volunteer] Mr. Doherty has succeeded immensely in pointing us the way forward to refocusing the Association to serve members in its core mandate. Personally, I am convinced that if we execute his recommendations, the Association will give value to its more than 800 members in a sustainable way and generally increase the impact of the sub-sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP.”  — Kabir Mustapha Yar’adua, Executive Secretary, National Association of Micro-finance Banks, Nigeria

“F2F has offered to UPAB a historical occasion with this training. This is the first time we are attending training for management. After this training, Winrock/F2F can rely on UPAB to improve the living standards in the region!”  –– Elhadj Bayo Guirassy, President, Union of Cashew Producers of Boke, Guinea

“The efforts of [F2F volunteer] Dr. Harmut on developing agriculture courses to establish the Nepal Apiculture Institute (NAI) at the Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) are highly valuable. I need this help to establish and run NAI/AFU successfully.” — Dr. Khem Raj Neupane, Head of Horticulture Department, AFU, Nepal

“F2F technical support created a technically capable core team that has strengthened our technical support to clients and outreach in all of the major regions of the country. F2F seems like a small program but it provides cutting edge training that is pertinent for [our] local context!” — Training and Capacity Building Manager, Ethiopia Meat and Dairy Technology Institute

“Thanks to this training, we became leaders and are offering assistance to our neighbors!” — President of the Farming Cooperative of Dladie, Mali

“The volunteer’s visit made us look inwards and reassess the ways that we might cut costs and improve quality ourselves. [F2F volunteer] Cliff Wener opened our eyes to see opportunities and solutions to problems that we have previously not noticed.” –Mr. Adeshina, co-owner, Arise & Shine International, Nigeria

“The volunteers helped me a lot. I was already involved in the business, but it was only after the volunteers came that I really understood. Thanks to the volunteers, I have transformed my traditional hand-made seed processing unit into a modern enterprise with much greater reach on national level!”  — Maimouna Sidibé Coulibaly, owner, Faso Kaba seed company, Mali

As these examples (and many others!) show, capacity building is at the core of the F2F Program.

From November 16-December 11, F2F program partners are sharing their knowledge and experience providing technical assistance to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses, service providers, and other agriculture sector institutions in developing and transitional countries. As aligned with Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, F2F works to support inclusive agriculture sector growth, facilitate private sector engagement in the agriculture sector, enhance development of local capacity and promote climate-smart development. Volunteer assignments address host-led priorities to expand economic growth that increases incomes and improves access to nutritious food. This blog series aims to capture and share this program experience.

Read more articles celebrating 30 years of F2F on agrilinks.org