We were fortunate to spend two weeks in Nepal working with Professor Binayak Rajbhandri and HICAST University, helping them to enhance their Masters in Agribusiness curriculum that will help develop entrepreneurship skills in their students.  We were both drawn to the program due to our collective experiences in entrepreneurship, higher education, and agribusiness.  Over the two weeks, we met with HICAST students, faculty, and staff as well as local business leaders to discover the gaps in the current curriculum and make recommendations on new courses and content that would help to develop a spirit of entrepreneurship within the institution and student body.

Kate and Frieda consulting with HICAST Agri-business students

Through the assistance of Winrock staff, Chhan Bhattachan and Dr. Vrigu Duwadi, we were able to speak with several students within the program to hear their opinions and discover ways they thought the program could be more applicable to the real-world business environment and not solely on theory delivered via textbook and lecture.  Since most students work full time and appreciate the idea of applied learning their feedback was helpful in understanding the gaps in the current curriculum.

Kate and Frieda final presentation to HICAST senior team

We were also lucky to meet with members of Kathmandu’s agribusiness community to better understand the knowledge and skills students traditionally lack when entering the workforce.  Business owners believe that graduates lack real-world experience and struggle to convert the theories they learn in school to the applications needed in the workplace. They want to see graduates come out with more real-world experience and applicable knowledge.

Kate and Frieda with Dr. Binayak in assignment planning meeting

Lastly, we met with several members of the HICAST faculty to comprehend the courses they taught as well as the delivery method of the content.  We learned that faculty in Nepal universities are not full time, rather they work in full-time jobs and often teach classes on the side.  As a result, they rarely have time to make curriculum changes, spend time on paperwork or facilitate educational opportunities outside the classroom.  These time constraints pose a considerable barrier to implementing a more robust curriculum dependent on experiential learning, which we deemed necessary to create a more entrepreneurial system.

We presented our findings to the HICAST leadership during a lively discussion. We acknowledged that some of our recommendations could be implemented immediately and that some would involve a much “bigger lift”, including cultural change and a new way of doing things throughout the institution. On the more immediate side, we recommended focusing on class discussion, using real-world case studies, and including current technology in the classroom. We also suggested including course content such as leadership, creativity, value chain analysis and a regional business environment class.  All of which would help to develop the critical thinking skills that are necessary for an entrepreneur. On the longer-term side, we recommended the creation of two applied to learn courses, one that would involve students creating and running their own businesses and one that would involve students solving real business issues for real clients.

Dr. Binayak (middle of Kate and Frieda) in group picture with HICAST team

Since Nepal is a relatively risk adverse country when it comes to business, we hope that our recommendations can help students become more comfortable with risk and consider starting their own businesses.  At the center of economic development in any country is the development of new business which creates jobs and in turn puts more money back into the local economy. For the right individual, Nepal has a lot of entrepreneurial opportunity within the agribusiness industry.  We hope that our recommendations can help HICAST develop a curriculum that gives students the skills and confidence to create their own business which will contribute to the development of Nepal’s economy.

Our Nepal Farmer-to-Farmer staff have nominated, Dr. William (Bill) Foxworth, as the November Volunteer of the Month, because he is a “highly skillful, flexible volunteer and adjusted his hands-on training sessions for the assignment to best utilize locally available equipment and resources in Nepal.” Dr. Foxworth is the reproductive physiologist at the International Goat Research Center at Texas A&M University and is responsible for Artificial Insemination (AI) training at the center. He has also worked extensively in reproductive technology transfer in Africa and Latin America for both cattle and goats for more than 25 years. During his assignment, he conducted training for Okadi Goat Raising Group members, local service providers, and extension workers on AI technologies and practices to improve a youth-targeted goat breeding program. Sushil, one of training participants and Government of Nepal Extension Officer explained, “F2F volunteer William’s contribution is crucial for the country’s context in goat breeding and increased production.” After the training, Sushil facilitated AI in more than 150 goats, doubling the conception rate from their AI operations. Bill shares his thoughts below about his Farmer-to-Farmer experience. 

Why did you want to volunteer?

As a research scientist, my goal has been to develop technologies that assist with livestock reproduction. Improvement in breeding technology leads to more efficient animal production and greater number of offspring. This is a foundation for feeding more people worldwide and that is my true aim. Volunteering in Nepal afforded me the opportunity to enhance the knowledge base in goat reproduction in a country that relies so heavily on the goat.

Photo from Dr. Foxorth’s training on Artificial Insemination

What was the highlight of your most recent volunteer assignment abroad?

For me, the highlight was generating the discussion of how to disseminate this reproduction technology in a manner that would best benefit the people of Nepal.

What made your Winrock volunteer trip distinctive?

Winrock’s infrastructure made the trip work seamlessly. Every step of the way was meticulously planned out with some flexibility and that allowed me to focus on giving my presentations and training sessions. It also allowed me to delve more deeply into the culture through the in country representatives, making my presentations better because I had intimate insight into my audience.

How does your experience affect your world view?

I have had the opportunity to work all over the world and each country I work in presents a new set of challenges from culture to infrastructure. Nepal presented me with a view of a country, that while being smaller in size and geographically highly varied, was a crossroads for several cultures and religions. Seeing their efforts to deal with their differences gives me insight into my own multicultural world and, hopefully, I impart it to my students, colleagues, friends, and family.

What advice would you give a new volunteer?

Enjoy your time. Utilize the in country experts to understand the people and cultures. Ask lots of questions. This will help you tailor your presentations and maximize the benefits to the audience.

How have your assignments made a difference in your own life?/Has your assignment caused you to do anything differently once you returned?

Working in Nepal, with the lack of some infrastructure and the availability of certain products, reminded me of the need to be flexible and resourceful. After returning, I was reinvigorated to work on and develop strategies for transferring agriculture technologies in global locations that may not have all of the energy or product availability that we have.

Why should people consider volunteering?

It is a truly rewarding experience. For me, having the opportunity to help people improve their ability to produce food and provide better foodstuffs to their fellow man, allows me to directly contribute to helping put food on someone’s plate.

How do you feel about the support from Winrock, whether before, during or after your assignments?

The staff, both here in the US and in Nepal, were of great help. I have a pretty hectic schedule every day and they took care of all the travel and logistics allowing me to focus my preparations on my presentations. Not speaking the language, I had some trepidation, but the staff in Nepal, and a well placed Peace Corp volunteer, made my communications flawless with the local communities. I must say, one of the unsung heroes in my time in Nepal was my driver. We were frequently on some white knuckle roads and his skill at maneuvering the mountainside allowed me to relax and enjoy the view.

Dr. Foxworth with Peace Corps volunteer, Garland Mason.

When your friends/family find out that your volunteer assignment aboard, what do they say or ask?

The first question almost everyone asks is, “How cold was it?” Everyone imagines that Nepal is all like the base camp on Mt. Everest. They don’t realize that geographically it goes from low tropical jungle to the highest point in the world. The temperatures in the areas where we were working, Pokhara and Waling, were very pleasant in March. I will admit, while looking over the edge of some of the roads on which we were driving, I felt like I was on the side of Mt. Everest.

What do you do when you’re not volunteering?

I am a research scientist at the International Goat Research Center, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas. I conduct research with goats in an effort to improve their reproductive efficiency, with an end goal of disseminating the information to limited resource farmers around the world.

Does anyone in your life play a role in supporting your involvement? In providing inspiration?

My family supports me by giving me the time to pursue my goals of helping others around the world. They cover my responsibilities at home while I am gone and I am eternally grateful for that.

Do you keep in touch with your host organization? [Host organizations are the organizations that receive volunteer support]

I am in touch by e-mail on occasion, but I am in regular communication by Facebook. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a post about people doing something related to the training we did.

How do you feel that your volunteer assignment has contributed to create a shared understanding across different cultures through person-to-person interactions?

My family is of blended cultures and I have had the opportunity to be educated in Japan and work in Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Each time I encounter a different culture, it reminds me that we are a diverse people. Working with individuals in Nepal offered me first hand insight to the unique cultures in Nepal and they added greatly to my understanding of the world, especially in a country that serves as a crossroad to many cultures. This experience also offered me insight into my own work and how best to present my knowledge in a manner that could serve this unique community.

You can read more about Dr. Foxworth’s volunteer assignment and Farmer-to-Farmer’s cooperation with Peace Corps in Nepal in this previous blog post. 

Closing ceremony after Dr. Foxworth’s trainings.

My volunteer assignment was to conduct trainings on Increased Safe Tomato Production through Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The training sessions were held in four village development committees (VDCs) in the Kaski region of Nepal, outside the city of Pokhara. The host organization was Dhikurpokhari Community Development Organization (DCDO). We conducted a 2-day training session in each VDC. I flew into Kathmandu, Nepal and was met at the airport by Arun Thapa from the Winrock Nepal F2F team. I was extremely grateful that I did not have to drive in Nepal. I was very thankful to have a Winrock driver and jeep! Kathmandu is a bustling city, the roads are windy and full of motorcycles, cows, dogs, cars, and trucks. There are no traffic lights or lanes that I could see and drivers bear to the left and the driver’s side is on the right, something I had a challenging time adapting to!

I then met with Winrock F2F Nepal Director Vrigu Duwadi at the Katmandu Winrock office. Vrigu gave me an overview of Nepali culture; the Namaste greeting, the food staple: Dahl baht (dahl and rice, which I loved) and logistics for the assignment. I also met with the International Development Enterprises (iDE) team in Kathmandu, who have been developing vegetable IPM packages for Nepal with the IPM Innovation Lab at Virginia Tech. The iDE team in Nepal: Director, Luke Colavito, IPM Coordinator Lalit Sah, and Agriculture Director Komal Pradhan, were great resources for IPM information. Lalit Sah and iDE Regional Manager in Pokhara, Balkrishna Thapa Magar, also joined us and assisted in some of the training sessions.

We flew to Pokhara and visited the Nepal Ministry of Agriculture’s Plant Protection Lab. We also visited an Agro-Vet in Pokhara that supplies seeds, fertilizer, and other crop inputs to area farmers.

Mr. Bannon with Khyam Paudel at his farm outside Pokhara.

From Pokhara, we conducted four 2-day training sessions in tomato IPM in small villages outside of Pokhara. Again, I was very happy to have Winrock’s driver Krishna safely navigate the mountain roads to the training sites to and from Pokhara. The growers have an excellent market opportunity with tomatoes in the off-season (rainy season) to provide fresh market tomatoes to the tourist city, Pokhara. They grow under plastic tunnels to keep the plants dry to prevent diseases. This is an income opportunity for young farmers to stay in their home villages with a viable business.

We asked the growers for inputs on their pest problems and other growing issues in tomatoes. Fortunately, most of the pest management issues were stated in the scope of work, so I was prepared. We discussed management of tomato diseases, such as Late Blight and insect pests like the newly introduced South American Leafminer (Tuta absoluta). A total of 125 growers attended the trainings, over half were woman growers and 58 were youth growers. We also had opportunities to make field visits to some of the growers’ farms.

The experience gave me new perspectives in many ways. As a teacher, it was new and interesting to work with a translator to deliver information. Arun Thapa from Winrock, Lalit Sah and Balkrishna Thapa Magar from iDE, and Sanjaya Timilsina from DCDO all helped with translation. They all have agricultural backgrounds so they were familiar with the subjects and effective in helping the participants to understand the material.

We had to be flexible and work around power outages. Having PowerPoint and a projector was not always an option, often we had to resort to drawing boards.

It was especially gratifying to have a group of people that were excited to learn about innovative ways to help them grow tomatoes profitably and safely. The growers have a unique opportunity with their tomato market in Pokhara.

Being in a profoundly different culture, climate, and economic conditions gave me a new perspective on all the things we take for granted here in the USA. Being able to give my time and knowledge to people who can use it to improve their lives was highly gratifying to me. I felt honored to be able to work with the Nepali growers, the teams from Winrock, DCDO, and iDE. It was also a pleasure to have US Peace Corps volunteers attend the training, many of them have tomato projects in their host communities. I’m hoping that the information presented at the meetings can be utilized by the agency staff and grower cooperatives. I would very much be interested in doing a follow-up project.

Mr. Bannon with Peace Corps volunteers, iDE staff, and Khyam at Namuna Agro Farm in Pokhara.

This experience changes how I approach my work here. It reinforced the importance of teamwork, it helps my tolerance level in dealing with difficult issues here. It makes me feel grateful that I have learned things in my career in agriculture that can help people in another part of the world improve their standards of living.

This was my first international experience and I hope to do more in the future.

“My favorite part of the training was giving out the course certificates.” –Mr. Bannon

This week’s blog comes from F2F volunteer, Daniel Laney, who trained 45 farmers (80% female) in Nepal on improved goat management techniques.

I have recently returned from Nepal where I served as a Winrock International/USAID Farmer to Farmer volunteer in the Surkhet area of the country. This marked my 17th trip to Nepal, but my first as a Winrock volunteer. When I started on this particular journey back in October 2016, I had no idea of exactly how much of an impact this assignment would have on my life. I have a deep appreciation for this beautiful country and the warm and gracious Nepali people that spans more than twenty-seven years. Over that time, it has become like my second home even though I have traveled to many other parts of our globe and enjoyed all that I have experienced. But we each have those special places we have visited that seem to call out to us and almost demand a closer look. Nepal is that place for me….and it still has that magical allure even after so many returns.

So while I was definitely excited to be heading back to Nepal, I was also a little unsure of what to expect as this was going to be a little different adventure than any of my earlier trips. In the previous 16 visits I pretty much made the trip up as I went along…..exploring regions, meeting with the locals and directing my own daily travels. Working as a Winrock volunteer was a little different. I was given an assignment with specific course outcomes….plenty of fact sheets and guidelines….and an interpreter! This was all a new experience for me. The pre-assignment information turned out to be extremely helpful and my Winrock contact person here stateside, Abby Phillips, was a jewel! All of this new-found support and guidance was impressive to say the least and sort of “raised the bar” for me. I was also excited for this opportunity to combine my passion for Nepal and my passion of goats by being accepted by my host group, Sundar Nepal Sanstha (Beauty Nepal Association, BNA). I was to conduct a training session that would support youth entrepreneurship by providing training on farm/shed management, parasite/disease management, fodder, forage and feeding techniques for nutrition and breed management I definitely did not want to disappoint the young goat farmers of Surkhet!

Daniel Laney observes as groups plan and draw out improved farm/shed designs

Once I arrived into Kathmandu, I was under the watchful eye of Winrock’s field agent, Vrigu Duwadi….every bit as helpful and supportive as Abby. Soon I found myself heading off to Surkhet with my interpreter, Arun! We improvised the sessions daily as there was no electricity available. It actually helped to create a more “hands-on” approach and we engaged the farmers in activities in which everyone participated and shared…a true “farmer to farmer” experience! But the real unique and personal impact of that volunteer assignment hit home for me while we were visiting some of the participants’ farm sites on the last day. I realized just how far the farmers had walked to attend the sessions. Everyone was present, happily engaged and actively participating every day, even though many had walked for miles in the early morning hours over rugged terrain, then retracing their steps as they headed home. I was truly humbled by their commitment to improve their herds and thankful that I was able to be a part of the great work Winrock volunteers do all over Asia.

Daniel Laney examining the goat’s health

This blog comes from F2F volunteer, Dr. Steven Pao, a Food Science Professor at California State University, Fresno. Dr. Pao recently volunteered in Nepal where he trained dairy farmers (63% youth) from Sana Kisan Krishi Sahakari Sanstha Ltd. on clean and hygienic milk production, safe dairy product development, product diversification, and product marketing. Mr. Dhruba Koirala, Cooperative Chairperson, noted, “Volunteer Steven Pao is a qualified volunteer on his subject matter as well as his deliverable methods and practical training approach was simple and remarkable to trainees. He is a highly recommend volunteer for the similar training.” This assignment hopes to build the technical skills of youth dairy farmers to enhance their employment and income opportunities. 

In most of the Farmer-to-Farmer projects I’ve volunteered for (over a dozen by now), my service starts by touring the host’s current operation sites before delivering a custom-made technical training and/or consultation. This Nepal assignment was no different. After entering Nepal and receiving a welcome briefing from Winrock’s Country Director in Kathmandu, an assignment Translator/Facilitator accompanied me as we flew to the host site, Chandrapur, a southern municipality near the border of India. The opportunity here was to share dairy processing and sanitation knowledge with local farmers from the Sana Kisan Krishi Sahakari Sanstha Ltd. through an assignment called “Quality Milk Products and Marketing Training for Youth Dairy Farmers.”

Sharing knowledge with local residents is always fun and rewarding and this is particularly true for volunteer Farmer-to-Farmer projects like this one. Before the workshop, the host cooperative invited me to visit their local dairy farms and milk collection stations. These observations were essential in helping me understand their current practices, and I used visitation notes and photos to generate a list of dos and don’ts specifically for protecting their milk quality.

Farmers bring raw milk to a milk collection station in Chandrapur, Nepal

Building a high-level of awareness and consistent practice for sanitary operation was one of the challenges, since the dairy cooperative depends on many very small-scale farmers to provide raw milk. We soon figured out that developing standard operation procedures (SOPs) for sanitary milk collection was a necessary, yet achievable, objective for this assignment. During the 5-day workshop, with about 30 local farmers actively participating, we studied milk quality control and sanitation principles. The participants also worked in small groups to draft workable operation procedures. The self-generated procedures were then posted in the conference room, discussed in joint sessions, translated into English, and adopted by the participants to be used as their SOPs.

Currently, the dairy cooperative’s milk collection center sells raw milk to both locals and out-of-town milk processors. There is an ongoing effort to develop a pasteurization capacity to help diversify their product line for better incomes. For this reason, the workshop introduced a variety of techniques on how to turn raw milk into value-added products (such as lemon cheese and Greek yogurt). The goal of this training was to help the farmers to understand both the benefits and challenges of product diversification. The participants recognized the importance of temperature, pH, and sanitation controls during the hands-on training activities.

Learning the process of milk protein coagulation for fresh cheese making

The workshop ended with a renewed commitment to quality milk and milk product production. I was honored to receive a Token of Appreciation plate along with a Dhaka topi (a type of Nepali hat) and a Khata (a traditional ceremonial scarf) in a heart-touching closing ceremony. Throughout the week, the host cooperation and participating farmers continually impressed me by their unwavering dedication and focus to effectively complete the training despite some of the hottest summer days. Also, it should be acknowledged that the workshop could not have been delivered so smoothly without Winrock International staff’s outstanding assistance in all communication needs; their assistance was invaluable.

Closing ceremony for the Farmer-to-Farmer workshop