This week’s blog comes from F2F volunteer, Johnson Ndi. He is an Organizational Development Specialist who has travelled and worked in over 59 countries across the world, volunteering with numerous NGOs in the area of development. Mr. Ndi served as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer from 2014-2015, working as a membership and marketing communication specialist with the Global Shea Alliances (GSA), a USAID-supported project, in Accra, Ghana. He also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand from 2005-2007.  Mr. Ndi recently volunteered in Bangladesh with the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, providing youth entrepreneurship development training to staff and members of the USAID-funded Bangladesh Counter Trafficking in Persons (BC/TIP) Program and one of their youth trafficking victims groups, ANIRBAN. While in-country, Mr. Ndi was interviewed by a local magazine, “Bazarzatkaran”. Read below for excerpts from the interview.

Q:You have a lot of experience in the field of entrepreneurship development and now have experience working with Bangladeshi entrepreneurs. Would you tell me the potential of our entrepreneurs?

A:Your country is very rich in untapped resources that can be utilized for the good of the entire people and to curb youth unemployment and trafficking. Bangladesh needs NGOs who are heavily invested in community mobilization and youth/women empowerment activities geared towards sustainable businesses in rural communities.

Q:What are the major limitations of our entrepreneurs?

A: Agriculture is one of the most difficult sectors of the economy. Bangladesh’s smaller agribusinesses frequently harbor decent work deficits, where work is too often for extremely low wages or returns, frequently hazardous, and can take unacceptable forms, such as child or forced labor. Young agri-entrepreneurs lack the know-how and means to effectively address these situations. However, improving the quality of jobs by promoting worker’s rights, extending social protection, and strengthening rural organizations is at the core of agricultural transformation and crucial for achieving sustainable agricultural productivity. Targeted skills development in good practices and awareness-raising can go far to address these deficits, as can be supported through local public and private collaboration. Educational institutions and member-based organizations are effective mechanisms for engaging young people in agriculture, while increasing youth employment through on-farm and off-farm activities.

Q: How can they overcome these problems?

A: This problem can be overcome through education, community mobilization, and sensitization. Given opportunities and incentives, and mindset change, rural youth can profitably be redirected toward agribusiness, service provision, and market-oriented agriculture, with a huge impact upon their rural communities.

This effort must extend well beyond reorientation and formal training, rather it must involve the development of detailed agri-business plans and creditworthy loan applications, leading to the establishment of new business ventures and services across the entire agricultural value chain. It must be built upon commitment at the national level, close collaboration among and with regional development partners to improve the enabling environment, and requires investment by the private sector and financial institutions. Equally important, the program must be attractive to youth, able to challenge counterproductive mindsets through building self-confidence, and must be led and owned by local efforts.

Q: According to your observations, what are the core competencies of our entrepreneurs?

A: Many of the youth involved in entrepreneurship today are increasingly using ICT to support their activities by relying upon mobile phones for their business activities. They also use mobile phones for recordkeeping and to access market prices and new buyers. Here in Bangladesh, I discovered that many young and older entrepreneurs are already tapping into this alternative opportunity to access finances for their businesses. Awareness of and access to these opportunities should therefore be promoted and facilitated for young entrepreneurs and young farmers.

Q: What kinds of qualities are essential to become an entrepreneur?

A: To become an entrepreneur, it is imperative to create and develop a business idea and take the risk of setting up an enterprise to produce a product or service, which satisfies customer needs. An entrepreneur really refers to the person and entrepreneurship defines the process. An entrepreneur is a job-creator, not a job- seeker who:

• has a dream and a vision;
• has the ability to identify and pursue a business opportunity;
• is willing to take the risk;
• undertakes a business venture;
• raises the capital to finance it;
• gathers the necessary physical, financial and human resources needed to operate the business venture;
• sets goals for him/herself and others;
• initiates appropriate action to ensure success; and
• assumes all or a major portion of the risk!

Johnson Ndi discussing opportunities with youth entrepreneurs in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Since 1985, the United Nations (UN) has celebrated International Youth Day as a way to provide “international support to improve the situation of young people” and focus on the issues that affect youth around the globe.

Winrock’s USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program in Bangladesh and Nepal engages skilled American volunteers to provide training and technical assistance to support youth entrepreneurship in the agriculture sector. In May 2016, F2F volunteer Neelam Canto-Lugo saw firsthand the direct impact that these programs can have on the lives of young people. Canto-Lugo heard about the F2F program several years ago from a colleague and former Winrock volunteer, and although she was anxious to volunteer herself, she patiently waited for an assignment that was the perfect fit.

Volunteer, Neelam, with training participants from the Women Development Advocacy Center

“Since I am not a scientist or an engineer, I really had to search for a project where I could share my expertise in interpersonal relationship building, career development techniques, and communication skills – all essential to empower women and youth,” she said. “[My assignment] provided exactly the opportunity I had been seeking [in order] to fulfill my desire to serve women and youth in rural Nepal and to make […] a positive change towards their future.”

In Nepal, Canto-Lugo worked with the Women Development Advocacy Center (WDAC) to assist youth, women, and community organizers by providing training on technical proposal writing, career development strategies, and effective communication techniques.

Canto-Lugo’s time in Nepal had such a profound impact on her that she returned home determined to raise funds and collect computers for WDAC’s digital literacy project, which provides computer training to economically disadvantaged women in the Dhanusha district and places them as teachers in rural schools. To date, she has raised $3,200, received a donation of three laptops, and is expecting additional laptops and funds in the coming weeks.

“I am so very thankful to my community for supporting their fellow citizens across the world. This also shows that we are all connected by the human thread no matter where we are destined to reside.”

Can you tell us about your experience working with WDAC in Nepal?

I encountered the most dedicated and committed group of individuals who are enthusiastic and determined to find sources and strategies to improve the economic and social conditions of women and youth.

The high school graduates and young participants were given an opportunity to brainstorm in small groups and describe their areas of need. As part of the training, they learned to write clear resumes, effective cover letters, and [participate in] mock interviews. They informed me that they had never before participated in a training where they got to present their views and issues. In the past, they were often asked to simply listen. In return, I was extremely impressed by their final written work and oral presentations.

What did you enjoy most about your F2F assignment?

I was most impressed by the eagerness of the participants to learn much needed soft skills and their desire to implement them in their work and personal lives. It was heartwarming to experience the enthusiasm they displayed to improve their lives and the lives of others. I saw a tremendous spirit of volunteerism among the youth who were kind, respectful, and willing to share their limited resources with others.

The same respectful attitude, hospitality, and kindness was shown by the very delightful staff at the Winrock office in Kathmandu. Very rarely have I encountered such kindness and affection in the countries that I have traveled. I encountered so many young men and women who have become my lifelong friends.

Why do you think it is important that we focus on issues affecting youth?

In rural areas of Nepal, as in many nations, the youth are often at a disadvantage due to lack of educational excellence, technology, digital access, and employment opportunities. The trainees in my [teaching] sessions regularly expressed these concerns. They must be trained and made ready to compete with the students in urban areas and excel in job skills so they can fully participate in the modern world.

What inspired you to continue your work with the host by raising funds and seeking computers for their digital literacy project?

I was inspired to support the host by the sincere and enthusiastic response of the trainees in Janakpur and Kathmandu. I was overwhelmed by the altruistic attitude of the participants, many of whom were themselves facing very difficult situations and challenges. I was also moved and impressed by the incredible vision and undying dedication of Nanda Kishor Mandal, founder and director of WDAC, and Pradip Dutta, district coordinator in Dhanusha. [They] have been working tirelessly to bring hope and progress in the lives of the underprivileged in the Terai region. The fact that they selected Dhanusha instead of a more privileged area of Nepal speaks to their sincerity. They work day and night toward their goal in spite of limited resources.

To learn more about WDAC and their work with women and youth in Nepal, visit WDAC.org.np. For more information about volunteering with Winrock, visit winrock.org/join-us/volunteer/.

As an Assistant Professor at The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I am always interested in meaningful research that complements my teachings. I enjoy the pragmatic approach of gathering data from relevant settings like educational classrooms. I have also found this to be an effective method to improve my teaching. Collecting and analyzing data both inside and outside of the classroom allows me to identify new, important topics to introduce to students, as well as improve future embodiments of entrepreneurship curricula that I deliver.

I adopted this approach during my recent assignment as a Winrock Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer supporting the USAID Bangladesh Counter-Trafficking In-Persons (BC/TIP) program. On this assignment, I taught two 5-day workshops teaching entrepreneurship to Bangladeshi youth (aged 18-35). This trip had many milestones for me – it was my first time in Bangladesh; my first time working with USAID and Winrock; and the first time I have taught in a foreign language. While things mostly turned out better than expected, I knew there would be many opportunities where research data could help improve my teaching. Additionally, I hope this trip is the first of many volunteer assignments, and I plan to use this data-driven approach to improve my future teaching efforts.

While in Bangladesh, I had many meetings with youth, NGO personnel, and community leaders focused on creating new businesses and economic opportunities. I asked everyone I interacted with about what was needed to promote additional entrepreneurship, and recorded the results. While informative on their own, these findings were also used to design a survey for educational workshop participants as well as other methods to measure entrepreneur sentiment. Winrock personnel in Bangladesh were critical to these efforts, and assisted with translating, distribution of surveys and other research materials, and providing additional insight on local Bangladeshi conditions.

Now that I have returned to the US, I am currently analyzing this raw data in depth, to gain a better understanding of future challenges and opportunities for Bangladeshi entrepreneurship. I also hope to publish these findings in an academic journal, so that others can utilize this information as well. Finally, I will use results to further improve curriculum during my next volunteer assignment. My recent travels with Winrock gave me access to great teaching and research opportunities, and I hope to apply this model to future volunteer assignments.

Zimbroff uses his data-driven approach in a workshop with Bangladeshi teens.

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.

Another central theme of the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Program is citizen diplomacy.

The Center for Citizen Diplomacy states that “citizen diplomacy is the concept that every global citizen has the right, even the responsibility, to engage across cultures and create shared understanding through meaningful person-to-person interactions.” Time and time again, Farmer-to-Farmer makes this happen.

One of our favorite examples of citizen diplomacy, and a true model of compassion and service, is Dr. Kirk Astroth.

Kirk trained representatives from 18 youth-serving organizations in Nepal, including the National Youth Federation of Nepal (NYFN), on methods to engage youth and teach leadership, communication, and advocacy skills. A year later, he is still in touch with his trainees. Kirk’s service went above and beyond the timeframe of his two-weeks in country; the assignment was just the first ripple.

After Kirk’s assignment, participants were eager to start new youth development activities. Given their keen interest and commitment, he assisted NYFN to obtain three scholarships to participate in The First Global 4H Summit 2014 in South Korea. After attending the summit and returning inspired, NYFN immediately began the process of registering a 4-H club. In January 2015, they received government approval and established 4-H Nepal, the first in the country.

Mr. Lok Raj Awasthi, General Secretary of NYFN, was one of the participants that attended Kirk’s training and the summit in Korea. He now serves as Chair of Nepal 4-H. After reaching out to Kirk for continued advice and to update him on progress, Lok was invited to come to the US – sponsored by Kirk and the University of Arizona — for three weeks. During his time in the US, he participated in youth development training and 4-H exchanges with American and international 4-H leaders, and visited farms in Arizona. Lok explains, “I learned many things and gained many skills. This is most important for Nepal!”

During his trip to the US, Lok also had the opportunity to teach about Nepal. In addition to sharing his experiences with 4-H leaders from 35 U.S. states, he gave presentations to faculty from the University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture and at an Arizona high school. It was a unique and fortunate opportunity for Lok as well as for the numerous individuals that he met.

Soon after Lok returned to Nepal, the massive earthquake hit the country. Putting what they learned from Kirk into practice, Lok and the members of the newly registered 4-H Nepal club mobilized nearly 600 youth volunteers to help with rebuilding and relief efforts in 12 affected districts. Just as Kirk had modeled for them, these leaders and the youth volunteers are now modeling compassion and service in their home country.

Who knew that a ripple could be stronger than an earthquake?

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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 

Volunteer Jeremy Elliot-Engel recently completed a youth entrepreneurship assignment with Winrock’s F2F program in Nepal. His blog post, below, offers candid insights from his trip:

Entrepreneurship is not only something you learn, but something you must do.

Namaste from Nepal.  If Nepal is one thing, it is a country of smiles, optimism and positivity.

This was my first time volunteering with the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) project.  It has been an incredible privilege to work with the Nepal country team and the students in Chitwan district.  This was not my first time traveling abroad providing education or training.  What I have valued throughout this experience has been that it has been asset based and has supported the strengths of the local individuals and hosts.

My project was training university agriculture majors on entrepreneurship.  The hosts were the Eco Minions and Prikiti Prahawa, both different organizations that have organized around agricultural and environmental concerns.  After talking with the youth leadership, I quickly, was able to identify the training needs to the fundamentals of business. I am confident these exceptional students (all 108 of them) will be able to recreate this training and spread the material, throughout the University but also into the community.

As agriculture majors at the local public agriculture university, they had content knowledge, but needed help to identify business concepts and how to create business plans.  We also spent significant time on writing and practicing SMART goals, so that the training would be valuable to their personal lives as well as in business.

During the intensive 20 hour training, students often had their first taste of experiential learning, following the 4-H motto “learning by doing.”  On numerous occasions on the first day or two, I heard “when will we start learning” or “we have so much to cover, let’s do less activities and more learning.”  By the end of the training, the students were saying “That was the best training I have had, it was so much fun and I have learned so much.”  The learning had crept up on them, while they were busy making marketing portfolios or playing Telephone to experience what marketing message diffusion appears like. Because the content was interactive and student driven, it was able to be relevant to the challenges and issues that occur locally.

Most of these students still have years of University studying to complete before they are able to go into the world and start a new entrepreneurship business. However, I am confident that their exposure to entrepreneurial thinking, understanding the importance of goals, maintaining personal, organization and business financial records and the many other concepts we covered will be utilized as they continue through their schooling.

I was energized by the can-do attitude and desire for improvement by every one of my learners during the training. There was a practical recognition of the challenges ahead and a willingness to tackle it.  I made the students promise me that if they made it BIG, then I expected an invitation back to Nepal.  They all promised, and one day, I am sure I will be returning to Nepal.  Dhanyabad (Thank You).

Here are some photos of Jeremy in action: