Today’s blog post is written by Winrock staff Jennifer Robinson, a program associate/recruiter with the Volunteer Technical Assistance team, who traveled to Guinea last month and had the pleasure of participating in a class taught by one of our volunteers.

“A recent labor market study for Agriculture Education and Training (AET) in Guinea showed that graduates’ English language skills correlate strongly with employment after graduation. It is for that reason that Winrock volunteer Sandra Belson has been on assignment in Faranah, Guinea teaching English as a part of the USAID-funded Agriculture Education and Market Improvement Program.

During my trip to Guinea, I was lucky enough to attend Sandra’s classes at the Institut Supérieur Agronomique et Vétérinaire de Faranah (ISAVF). Sandra introduced me as a guest and told the students that after their work for the class was complete, they would have the opportunity to talk with me.

the ISAVF campus

To start the activity, one student came to the front of the class and read aloud a story called I am the Forest.  Then, another student on his team wrote questions on the board in English. The class worked together to answer the questions and to make sure all the spelling and grammar were correct.  Their vocabulary and level of understanding were impressive. The careful thought put in to the comments and questions was apparent. Mistakes turned into opportunities to learn more, and the class was energetic despite the 100 degree weather that was melting this American visitor.

Engaged students

After the classwork was complete and arrangements were made for working on English language software in the computer lab, it was time for me to talk with the class. I learned a lot about the students. Not all were from Guinea. Many students come to the agriculture university from Niger and Cameroon as well. They are majoring in a variety of subjects including; agricultural engineering, aro-forestry, rural economics, and animal science. I asked each person why they wanted to learn English, and the most common answer I received was, ‘English is the international language.’ They all expressed that learning English would improve their futures by allowing them to be more marketable to employers and enabling them to communicate with people around the world. When I inquired about future plans I learned about the goals of these men and women. One young man would like to attend graduate school for agricultural engineering in the United States. A woman from Niger plans to work for the Ministry of Agriculture. One gentleman told me he’d like to become President.

Sandra Belson teaching

From my observation, these men and women are well on their way to achieving whatever goals they set for themselves. They are clearly dedicated to education and are taking full advantage of the opportunity to learn English. As the class wrapped up and we ended with what became quite the photo shoot, I was pleased to have a student come up to me and thank me for sending him, ‘the best English teacher.’ I am glad that Winrock has the opportunity to share the skills of volunteers like Sandra Belson with our friends in Guinea.”

-Jennifer Robinson

In the fall of 2013, Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) volunteers worked with the USAID/Guinea Agriculture Education and Market Improvement Program (AEMIP) and faculty from the Institut Supérieur Agronomique Valéry Giscard d’Estaing de Faranah (ISAVF) to conduct an institutional assessment of ISAVF and to develop an action plan outlining important interventions to enable ISAVF to emerge as a center of excellence in agriculture education and training (AET).

A year later, ISAVF was able to put what they learned during the assessment process into practice, taking the lead to conduct institutional assessments and develop five-year action plans for four agricultural schools across the country. ISAVF selected four faculty to undertake the assessments as volunteers, working with the AEMIP Deputy Program Director, F2F Country Director, and a representative from the Ministry of Technical Education and Professional Training.

This process allowed ISAVF to build internal capacity and also expand its role as a leader and a partner in the collective efforts to strengthen AET in Guinea. (more…)

Every Thursday morning at 9:00 CST (that’s 3 PM in Guinea) a Skype call originates from Winrock’s headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas and connects staff in the US with colleagues in Guinea. The weekly discussion of volunteer assignments and logistical arrangements is often accompanied by the sounds of birds chirping and Conakry traffic in the background. The dedicated and professional individuals on the far end of that call are the reason why so many volunteers who have traveled there before are eager to return to Guinea.

the F2F Guinea team

If you haven’t had the opportunity to go to Guinea and work with Winrock International’s outstanding Farmer-to-Farmer staff, you can read a little about each of them below: (more…)

“For me to be a part of an organization supporting a sustainable system of agriculture is a dream come true and gives me hope.”

–Inspiring words from Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer Mamadou Thiam after his volunteer assignment in Guinea, which focused on providing “training of trainers” to NGO workers on farm management and methods for effective technology transfer to smallholder farmers.

Mamadou’s training and recommendations will enable the NGOs to more effectively assist farmers in applying new technologies and improved practices to increase on-farm production.

In June, Kris Fricke took his first trip to Guinea. His volunteer assignment was focused on training local beekeepers on the conversion of traditional beekeeping into beekeeping as a business. Kris spoke to the Beekeepers Federation of Guinea about bee biology and behavior, instructed the group on how to inspect and improve hives, and taught them how to use the beeswax to make soap and candles. He also shared knowledge about selling the honey and wax products, and offered ideas for business growth. Upon returning from his assignment, Kris reflected on the new friends he made, the rich culture of these people, and the beautiful countryside where they live and work. He has shared his thoughts on Guinea in today’s blog: (more…)