On February 9, 2018, Farmer to Farmer (F2F) volunteer, Teresa Morris, arrived in Abuja, Nigeria on her first visit to the country and her first F2F assignment; to provide a training-the-trainer workshop in Developing Curricula and Training of Trainers in Farm Administration and Management to Nehemiah Foundation International.

Dr. Morris is a soil scientist who works with the Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS), USDA as an Organic Farming Area Specialist. She also works as an Adjunct Professor at the Saint Louis University; teaching beginning soils to graduate and undergraduate students for the Earth and Atmospheric Science Department. Dr. Morris was kind enough to write the below about her experience: 

I was thrilled when I received an email inviting me to join the volunteer team of Winrock International. My credentials matched me with a volunteer position in Kaduna, Nigeria working with small acreage farmers interested in sustainable farm management. The Host for this project was Mr. Emmanuel Nehemiah of the Nehemiah Foundation.

As I learned more of Mr. Nehemiah’s vision for local farmers to support Kaduna’s community I became excited about the development of the training. The focus of the training was agriculture that incorporated ecological principles with the development and building of organic matter related to on-farm money. I refer to this method as “farming as a banking system” and soil organic matter is the currency. I began the training by showing the farmers the actual nutrients and money associated with 1% organic matter. This idea caught their attention and from there the training was off and running.

During the four day training, we visited local farms and discussed methods of farming that would retrain and build soil organic matter. The farms were beautiful as were the farmers. I was honored to learn from them and share what I have learned from my career as an agriculturalist and as an educator in soil health and ecological farming. The challenges these farmers faced was tough. Lack of tools, weather, seed, and working with pastoral grazing were just some of the everyday tasks on their list and yet they produced a crop every year.

Back in the classroom, I showed slides of soil science technology and ecological farming methods. As the day progressed, we as a group discussed the science as well as the methods to assure everyone understood how farming using soil ecology was cost effective and would save them money as well as restoring their natural resources. Each day of the training was filled with lively discussions regarding how Kaduna could adopt ecological farming and work together to provide produce to the local community. It was wonderful.

The whole experience was life-changing. I truly enjoyed working with the farmers and the Nehemiah Foundation to formulate a practical manual for guidance on ecological farming. I also enjoyed showing the farmers how the production of soil organic matter would save them money.

Upon leaving, my new friends of Kaduna welcomed me back in the future, which I would enjoy!

Very Best,

Teresa Morris, PhD

Okadi Goat Raising Group reached out to our Farmer-to-Farmer team in Nepal for training on Artificial Insemination technologies and practices. They wanted to target their group members/goat farmers, local service providers, and extension workers to improve their youth-focused goat breeding program in Syangja, Nepal. Dr. Bill Foxworth of Texas Prairie View A&M University facilitated the 6-day training program, which included classroom training and hands-on demonstrations. He explained that “this assignment reaffirmed [his] desire to continue working with limited resource farmers and their countries. [He has] worked in Africa, Europe, North and South America, but this was [his] first opportunity to work in this part of Asia and it was quite rewarding.”

Dr. Foxworth observing Saanen (largest of all the dairy breeds) bucks at a community goat farm.

Garland Mason and Joshua O’Malley, two Peace Corps volunteers from neighboring districts,  also attended the training. Ms. Mason shared her reflections about the experience:

“The training was a major highlight of my service as a Peace Corps volunteer thus far. We spent the first two days of the training visiting some of the model goat farms of Syangja District and getting set up for the training. In considering the realities of goat production in a Nepali context, I found that it was immensely helpful to hear Dr. Bill’s reflections from his experience and research in America and around the world, as well as those of Mr. Sushil Aryal, of the District Livestock Service Office Syangja District.

“Once we got started with the presentation in Okadi, I found that I was in a unique position to help Dr. Bill with Nepali translation and to help situate the information that Dr. Bill provided within the Nepali context. Because I was already familiar with a lot of the scientific information and technologies that Dr. Bill described, and because I had a sense of what would be familiar and what would be new for the participants, I was able to translate the information in a way that would be accessible and easy to understand, with help from Sushil ji and Dawa Tshiring Tamang of the Agricultural and Forestry University in Chitwan. By the end of the first day of training Dr. Bill, Sushil ji, Dawa ji, and I had developed a rapport that allowed the presentation and subsequent translation to flow efficiently, and be dynamic enough to hold the participants’ interest and attention over the course of the classroom sessions. During the practical sessions, I was able to help Dr. Bill by translating his communications with Sushil ji, as well as his explanations of the practical components for the participants, and by making sure he had access to what he needed to give the demonstrations.

Ms. Mason interpreting Dr. Foxworth’s training on use of a hormone application to assist with synchronization for reproduction.

“Attending the training also gave me insight into the technologies that are available and currently in use in Nepal. I live in a comparatively underdeveloped area, and was previously unaware of some of the technologies that are accessible to rural areas of the Western Development Region. Having attended the training, I am excited to strengthen my connection with the Livestock Service Sub-Center at my site, and begin discussions with the District Livestock Office in Kushma about initiating a similar program for my village. Sushil ji, Dawa ji, and Dambar Kumari of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council based in Kathmandu, all expressed their interest in helping to facilitate such a program in Thapathana. Attending the Farmer-to-Farmer training gave me access to professional contacts who will prove invaluable in helping me train my community members, and in strengthening my ability to serve my community. With the help and support of my new professional connections, I am looking forward to bringing the technologies presented at the workshop to my village of Thapathana, Parbat. I am excited to continue to work with them and foster these connections so that other volunteers might be able to take advantage of them as well.

Dr. Foxworth and Ms. Mason explaining how to use a vaginal speculum to detect heat signs for reproduction.

“Sometimes as a Peace Corps volunteer working in a rural agricultural village in Nepal, it is difficult to feel that my limited and United States-centric expertise is useful for villagers that have been working in agriculture in these conditions for their entire lives. Working with Dr. Bill, Sushil ji, Winrock International, and others over the past two weeks made me feel useful and purposeful, re-energized me for my work in Thapathana, and reminded me that I have valuable knowledge and experience to contribute here. My motivation, creativity, and confidence were all strengthened by my ability to partner with Winrock and take part in this training.”

Our Farmer-to-Farmer office in Nepal continues to keep Peace Corps staff abreast of upcoming volunteer trainings located in their zones of influence to further collaboration and the reach of our technical assistance.

Winrock volunteer Robert (Bob) Albrecht passed away unexpectedly in January. He was an inspiration and will be truly missed.

Bob began his volunteer service with Winrock International in August 2001 with an assignment in Nigeria focused on fisheries design and management. After that first trip, he spent two months working with host, Ife Central Fish Farmers, introducing them to new fish farming techniques. He was accompanied on this assignment and many others by his wife, Mary.

Over the 16 years following that first assignment, Bob and Mary traveled the world to help many host organizations and their families. They worked to improve businesses and communities. No place was too far or too remote to scare them off. The Albrechts went to Nepal to lead trainings on fish processing and waste management; Guinea during the Ebola crises to help poultry farmers with enterprise development and marketing; Central Asian countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, where they worked with residents on chicken and duck raising businesses; and Russia to share their knowledge of feed production development.

In 2006, Bob returned to Nicaragua for a second time, to work with the National Cattle Commission. “It was heartwarming to see that many of the recommendations that I had made in previous visits were being put into practice,” he observed, “and that the implementation was enabling the farmers and processors to enjoy a higher quality way of life.”

Bob and Mary in Guinea

Guinea staff member Mamadou Thiam described Bob as very sensitive, knowledgeable and caring. He noted that Bob was always aware of his surroundings and connected with the people.

Winrock’s Director of Agriculture & Volunteer Programs DeAnn McGrew recalled that, “Bob and Mary were two of the first Winrock volunteers to Nigeria in 2001. As a new recruiter at that time, I was struck by their humility and their generosity of time, energy and spirit. I am honored and humbled to have worked with them. Bob’s generosity and dedication to others will be sorely missed.”

Bob and Mary touched the lives of hundreds of people in the developing world. In 16 years, they completed 25 assignments with Winrock in 10 different countries for a total of 479 volunteer days. Through hard work and a fierce dedication to volunteerism, Bob and Mary changed lives.

During his lifetime, Bob made countless friends all around the world; many of these friends work for Winrock International. We are grateful for the time and knowledge he donated to our programs over the years, and we will miss Bob’s warm smile, his tireless work ethic, and his zest for life. Though Bob is no longer with us, his spirit lives on in those he touched around the world.

Bob Albrecht in Senegal

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

Todays post is written by Demetria Arvanitis, Director of Winrock’s Volunteer Technical Assistance Team: (more…)