Since the Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program was created in 1985, the volunteer technical assistance process has relied on volunteer recruiters to connect technical experts with host organizations in partnering countries. Our newest recruiter, Olivia recently returned from a visit to Senegal where she got to meet staff and the people who work with F2F every day. She recently graduated with a doctoral degree in agricultural education and communication from the University of Florida. Olivia has loved international development work since her first study abroad experiences in 2016 when she spent 1 month working at an agricultural school in Mozambique.

In general, there are four main steps for a volunteer recruiter – securing a volunteer, mobilization (for in-person assignments), assignment implementation, and assignment closure. I have become acquainted with flight itineraries, expense reports, visa processes, and other technical aspects of assisting volunteers with their assignments. Currently, Winrock’s F2F program works in Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Mali, and Senegal. About three months after starting, I was given the opportunity to travel to Senegal to support Winrock’s F2F efforts. This trip taught me more about Winrock’s in-country F2F operations, host organizations, and how to better communicate travel expectations to future volunteers.

While in Senegal, I had the privilege to meet with members of two host organizations – AMIDEF (Alliance of the Integrated Masses for the Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship Network) and COFLEC (Coalition of Women Against Illegal Immigration).

My meeting with Madame Ba at AMIDEF taught me about the wide range of agricultural products that F2F assignments have assisted with and the far-reaching impacts these assignments have on AMIDEF members across Senegal. AMIDEF has empowered women to learn soap creation, fruit and vegetable preservation techniques, and is now branching out into agricultural-based cosmetics. In addition, AMIDEF members have worked with F2F to increase pre-packaged meals that incorporate culturally important foods, and nutrition, and are readily available for purchase by busy city-dwellers in the capital – Dakar. I am looking forward to finding dedicated volunteers for upcoming assignments in 2023 that will support AMIDEF’s mission to empower women entrepreneurship such as SEN329 – Essential Oils Making Techniques for Soap and Cosmetics.

My visit with Madame Bayam at COFLEC was an extremely personal experience in which she described losing her son at sea while he was seeking job opportunities abroad. Madame Bayam has dedicated herself to supporting agricultural-related job opportunities that encourage Senegalese not to take dangerous boat trips in search of employment abroad. It was incredible to see the sustainability impacts of a recent F2F assignment which taught COFLEC members how to create paper bags to lessen the use of plastic and encourage local production of necessary business supplies. COFLEC has served as a host organization for many assignments on topics such as leadership and business management, fruit and vegetable processing, and body care products production. I am inspired by COFLEC’s commitment to increasing the quality of agricultural-product availability, improving their surrounding marine environment, and advocating for women’s empowerment throughout Senegal.

My recent trip familiarized me with the Senegalese in-country F2F team and gave me a chance to support ongoing programmatic efforts. Most importantly, this trip helped me understand that F2F assignments are so much more than assignment numbers, itineraries, and expense reports. Winrock’s F2F assignments are life-changing – promoting job opportunities, supporting gender equality, and encouraging climate-smart agriculture. This trip helped me better understand the interconnected components which must come together for a successful F2F assignment. F2F relies on expert volunteers (U.S. citizens, and National volunteers), support from our F2F in-country colleagues, receptive host organizations, and help from Winrock’s headquarters. I am happy to have returned to my home office energized and inspired to connect technical experts in the U.S. with our F2F host organizations to improve livelihoods and food security.

This week’s blog comes from F2F volunteer, Dr. Peter Flanagan, an experienced professional in ruminant farming, including dairy production and reproduction management (goats, sheep, and cattle). He also has extensive international development experience and has worked in South Sudan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and India. He currently resides in Guam, where he has established a veterinary clinic. He recently returned from Bangladesh, where he provided training to youth goat farmers and host staff on improved goat rearing techniques, including climate-smart adaptation practices.

“Standing in the long line at the immigration desk at the Dhaka International Airport provided ample opportunity to wonder what the next two weeks would be like. As the assignment unfolded, it turns out that the 2 hours needed to obtain the visa was more likely the result of unfortunate timing rather than an omen of things to come. Once the logistics were under the direct control of Winrock management, travel was easy. No other significant delays hampered the smooth flow of the remainder of the trip.

Upon arrival at the Winrock International office, I received a warm reception by Dr. Kabir, Dr. Rahman, Mr. Badal, and other Winrock staff. The program managers provided clear guidance on what the assignment would entail and were especially thorough when reviewing the safety precautions, which were followed conscientiously by the entire staff for the duration of the assignment. After a long night on several airplanes, it was pure pleasure to plunge into the luxurious comfort of the Bengal Inn, which is located just around the corner of the Winrock offices.

The first thing in the morning, my companion for the next 10 days, Dr. Rahman, joined me for the short flight to Jessore, followed by a 2-hour drive to the headquarters of Satkhira Unnayan Sangstha (SUS), my host for this assignment. For the remainder of the assignment, Rahman was a good-humored companion who assured that everything flowed smoothly from his invaluable translations, to his seamless coordination of various activities, to his willingness to provide insightful cultural information.

We were greeted warmly by the SUS staff, including Mr. Sk. Eman Ali, the founder and Executive Director of this NGO, which has focused on improving people’s livelihoods in this rural area in southwest Bangladesh. Over lunch, Mr. Ali described the wide range of activities that the 400+ employees of SUS have been involved in over the past 30 years. Lunch was the first of many, many scrumptious meals served by the SUS kitchen. I never would have guessed that I would gain weight on this assignment, but the abundant fish, meat, vegetables, and fruit were quite simply too delicious to resist. After lunch, we joined a group of SUS employees to visit a small homestead and a local village to observe typical goat husbandry practices in the area. Of course, the villagers were as curious about me as I was about them. Wherever we went we were surrounded by local people who were ready to answer my many questions about their daily goat-rearing practices. I slept very well at the SUS headquarters, where the accommodations were clean, comfortable and secure.

Dr. Flanagan is welcomed by goat farmers during a field visit

The next day was consumed by site visits to villages and households, where goats are raised for supplemental income. The visits provided a good opportunity to observe and discuss routine husbandry practices, including feeding, housing, and medical care. After lunch we traveled 1 hour south to a homestead located in the flood areas. The farmer reported that his small plot of land adjacent to a medium-sized canal is flooded annually, and thus he is only able to harvest one crop of rice each year. As a result of the flooding, the land is increasingly salinized. A taste of the dirt revealed just how salty it had become. His goats were left to scrounge what they could from the sparse vegetation that managed to grow. The farmer described in detail how he has to relocate his household during the rainy season every year.

It was remarkable to see in this case and many other cases, just how vulnerable the villagers are to the indiscriminate effects of climate variability. Despite the precarious living conditions, the Bangla welcome was warm, patient, and informative wherever I visited.

Dr. Flanagan guiding a hands-on training session on nutrition management for improved goat production

One evening after a training day, Mr. Sk. Eman Ali invited Dr. Rahman and me to participate in an interview session at the Tala Press Club. Before attending the meeting, Mr. Ali guided us through the evening market to show me the items that were available for sale. It was an excellent tour thanks to the many introductions to the local merchants, who all seemed to be very familiar with Mr. Ali and his tireless efforts to improve living conditions. The reception at the Press Club was even more welcoming as several journalists and even more community leaders were in attendance to ask questions about the Farmer-to-Farmer program as well as several questions regarding cultural differences between Bangladesh and the United States.”

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.

Since 2013, the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program and associated USAID/Guinea Agriculture Education and Market Improvement Program (AEMIP) have supported L’Institut Superieur Agronomique et Vétérinaire de Faranah (ISAV/F) – Guinea’s only agricultural university — as a provider of research and education to help solve the country’s food security, ag-development, and climate change challenges. As a key step in this process, AEMIP conducted a baseline study for a Global Climate Change Integration Pilot in 2014. During the study, nationwide data was collected to assess the context in Guinea for building the capacity of ISAV/F and other agriculture education and training (AET) institutions to implement climate change adaptation programs and initiatives.

AEMIP and F2F are now addressing the recommendations provided in the baseline study to support ISAV/F and AET staff to develop and disseminate climate smart agricultural (CSA) techniques to increase farming revenue and food security in Guinea. AEMIP and F2F have also created a network of Guinean AET institutions to open a forum for discussion and development of CSA techniques and strategies. F2F and AEMIP volunteers have supported the efforts by conducting assessments and providing technical training to ISAV/F staff and organizational development capacity building support to the broader AET network.

AEMIP supports research teams comprised of ISAV/F faculty and students who engage local authorities, community members, and ag-extension agencies to conduct research on important topics related to climate change resilience and impacts of climate change on potato, rice, and honey production. The program also increases understanding about the causes of climate change and necessary remedies through climate change awareness grants to Guinean NGOs and by showcasing films at ISAV/F on climate change, global warming, climate change policy, and climate adaptation techniques appropriate for Guinea.

“Due to our collaboration with the AEMIP/F2F Program, ISAV/F has seen a change in our faculty’s mindset regarding climate change,” explains Professor Sara Bialo Diallo, the Director General of ISAV/F. “Faculty has become active in implementing projects that address climate change awareness and applied research on sustainable agriculture and climate smart agriculture techniques.”

F2F and AEMIP are currently seeking volunteer experts to assist with an agro-ecological climate change adaptation report; train AET network members to prepare funding requests for private donors; advise on research grants; and assist ISAV/F with public outreach. Volunteer opportunities are posted at: www.winrock.org/opportunities

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 

As the world recognizes this Earth Day, Winrock International‘s Agriculture Education and Market Improvement Program (AEMIP) is mobilizing a major initiative to integrate climate change concerns into Guinea’s national agriculture education and training (AET) system as a part of USAID’s Global Climate Change (GCC) initiative. With the support of volunteer technical assistance, AEMIP is developing technical and institutional leadership on climate change within the agriculture sector at Guinea’s AET institutions. “Now with climate change as a ‘hot topic,’ if we can better understand this, we can disseminate the information to others and contribute to global level efforts to protect the environment.” – student at the national forestry institution in Guinea, the École Nationale des Agents Téchniques des Eaux et Forêts (ENATEF), which has received previous Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) support in climate change-related topics. (more…)