Colleen's World of Opportunity

My colleague, Hazel, and I out in Dedza with farmers.

Dear friends and family.  

As you're aware, I have long been involved with Engineers Without Borders, first in Canada to educate young Canadians on issues of international development, then recently as part of the overseas team focused on agriculture and emerging markets.  

I spent the last year working with EWB and one of our partner organizations in rural Malawi, connecting small-scale Irish potato farmers with a local buyer and manufacturer, working to provide them with better quality seeds and support services. As a result, I saw small-scale farmers sell quality potatoes to a Malawian company generating income for themselves and their families; I saw field staff get excited and excel as the opportunity for growth and personal development became available; I saw business partners, NGOs, research institutions and government staff come together to solve real systemic problems facing the industry and by extension small-scale farmers; I saw light-bulbs turn on in managers minds as they realized different ways of supporting their staff and the impact this could have on their work. These small successes at various levels in different ways can have big ripple effects on the system and the players involved; these ripple effects are the changes that we strive to create.  

Agriculture is a system composed of many players. In Canada, that system functions; there is room for growth, innovation and specialization. But the operating environment in rural Africa is more broken and dispersed. It leaves out many of the small players (small-scale farmers) or provides only temporary solutions to surface-level problems. It fails to encourage the linkages, innovation and cooperation that could lead to more reliable markets and products.  

My work with the Agriculture Value Chains team looks at this bigger system. We work through development sector and private sector organizations that are interested and/or trying to engage small-holder farmers. They see the business potential. They are willing to take a risk, to try something new, to learn and get creative.  

We support that innovation and strive for changes in the industry to include small-holder farmers as a viable part of the supply chain, thereby improving their opportunities and the markets they rely on.  

Recently, I made the decision to extend my work with EWB for yet another year, renewing not only my contract but also my commitment. This work and passion takes me to Ghana where I will be using the knowledge and skills I developed last year, and learning much more, to help set up and manage an even bigger, more ambitious value chains project called ADVANCE. Working with the best in the field, working alongside colleagues and partners as motivated and passionate as I am, and working in over 6 commodity chains with small-holder farmers in 5 regions of Ghana, there is a lot of potential for change.  

This holiday season, you can be part of this change; you can support my passion and commitment by donating to my World of Opportunity campaign. You can donate $5 or $50 or $500 to help me reach this goal and to support my work overseas.  

This year, I am helping Engineers Without Borders build a World of Opportunity for rural Africans. Together, we can make this a reality.

Colleen