What was the best part about contributing to Farmer-to-Farmer as a national volunteer in their country/region?

I was elated to be able to give back to my country using the skills I have acquired over the years. It was rewarding and it gave me a sense of fulfilment. It also afforded me the opportunity to meet the needs of clients or people who ordinarily wouldn’t have crossed my path. I met interesting people, young and old contributing their quota to the development of agriculture in Nigeria.

My first assignment was with a Non-governmental organization, Agrolearn where I contributed to the development of training modules that could be used by agricultural extension agents as well as facilitating four sessions of training. The trainees were warm and enthusiastic to learn. The trainees also sharpened my view of some aspects of extension as they brought their experiences on board.

My second assignment was institutional assessment at the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Victoria Island, Lagos. I was able to help conduct SWOT analysis of the institution which gave me a sense of fulfilment

What was the best part about working with a remote US based volunteer?

The best part was the opportunity to learn new ideas from another clime. I also loved the ideas shared and the two I worked with so far have great personalities. I think developing modules together also broadened my knowledge. I have always longed for an exchange program of some sort and working with them gave me a peek into what it would look like should I embark on that.

What did you learn/were there any cultural exchanges with the US volunteer and/or your host?

Yes, there were a few with the international partners. In developing the modules on my first assignment, Dr. Laurie Murrah-Hanson and I developed an in-depth module on program planning and development which broadened my knowledge. That stood out for me.

Working with Professor Gary Wingenbach was so rewarding as he explained how to use the OCI tool for institutional assessment in details. Listening to his sessions also gave me an insight to what practices are obtainable in teaching and learning in the United States. For instance, emphasis on other aspects of the learner apart from cognitive development is now top priority for me as I impact knowledge.

The hosts I have worked with so far are from my own section of the country, so no major exchange has taken place.

What lasting impact did volunteering with Winrock have on you?

It has aroused a desire to be selfless and make a difference in the agricultural sector. I admire the drive and focus of the organization. The passion of their staff to achieve results is also commendable and worthy of emulation. I also hope they keep this window open even after COVID19.

What was the best part about contributing to Farmer-to-Farmer as a national volunteer in your country/region ?

The best part of my contribution with Farmer-to-Farmer as a local volunteer in my country is the capacity building of the teachers of the vocational Training Center of Nioro du Rip in business marketing. It was interesting for me to be able to help the center to effectively manage their commercial and income generating activities in order to be able to face the budget deficit.

The government of Senegal has decided to make training centers responsible for generating income in order to manage their internal operations. And participating in this training gave me the opportunity to contribute my part in the implementation of this policy.

What was the best part about working with a remote US based volunteer ?

The remote work with the American volunteer (Michelle LaPrise) has greatly contributed to the improvement of the documents produced during the assignment, especially on the development of the business plan model and the questions that the promoter must ask himself on each part that composes the business plan.

I am in charge of following up with micro enterprises in my Zone of Influence and this collaboration with Michelle allowed me to grasp and appropriate other knowledge in the field of business and entrepreneurship. Michelle’s flexibility and willingness to assist was helpful and she has spared no effort in providing information despite the time differences. This further motivated me to provide the training from start to finish and to continue to work with the producers in my area to help them as much as I could without any setbacks.

What did you learn/were there any cultural exchanges?

I learned a lot about the assignment, especially about the financial indicators part of the business plan, the insertion model of the center and marketing techniques. There is a diversity of people within the center from all over Senegal. I met and exchanged with my Diola (one of the ethnic groups in Senegal) relatives and my Serer (another ethnic group)”workers” with whom I teased by taking examples from them during the training. This made the training much easier and with great fun. I was able to understand that this cousinhood is practiced everywhere in Senegal and contributes greatly to the social peace of the country. This mission also allowed me to discover another part of the country with different cultural features.

What lasting impact did this have on you?

This assignment allowed me to reinforce my knowledge on marketing techniques and business plan elaboration. It has allowed me today to reinforce my knowledge on business marketing. There is a lot of materials and information that will be useful to me in my activities with the producers that I supervise. I will definitely become another type of trainer in the future.

What advice would you give or what would you want to tell someone else who is interested in volunteering nationally?

This program allows us not only to develop our skills but also to share our experiences with the beneficiaries for the development of this country. It is a very interesting program. In addition, it allows us to contribute to the capacity building of learners, youth and women in different areas of the country, in order to contribute to sustainable development at the local level.

Why did you choose to volunteer?

I chose to volunteer in the Farmer-to-Farmer program because I am driven by the spirit of sharing and the constant quest for experience and knowledge. Since I am also a microenterprise consultant, I felt it necessary to give my time and in return gain experience for my future career.

Through Winrock, West Africa Farmer-to-Farmer, I got to know a US volunteer, Mrs. Janet Buresh who I found full of experience and patience. Together we developed the different training tools (guide, PowerPoint support) and shared the roles. She made specific interventions that were very welcome to complete some comments, to share her experiences or to suggest some techniques to better convey the content of the training on Financial Literacy, Research and Credit Management for youth entrepreneurs.

As a former bank employee with more than 25 years of experience in the field, I found the American volunteer steeped in experience. She is an expert in financial literacy, knowledge of banking institutions and loan decision-making; in addition, she is very competent in engineering training. In the end, she knows very well how to work remotely with a local volunteer, by providing advice and by intervening whenever it is necessary to complete.

So, I would like to congratulate the Country Representative of Winrock International and his team, who were able to identify the right people to carry out this training, and who knew how to manage their working relationships: mutual knowledge, organization of virtual meetings, sharing of experiences and preparation of materials, realization of the training, etc. all in the atmosphere, solidarity, and mutual respect.