When Preparation Meets Opportunity

Me (left), Farmers (the gentlemen), and NEPA representatives presenting the check. We clean up good!

I have alluded a few times in previous posts about a project in the works or good news I hope to reveal in the near future. Well, that time has finally come. It is a long process that started three months after I arrived in Bluefields, Jamaica. Tuesday, April 23^rd, 2013 marked the beginning of the Bluefields Climate Adaptation Technology for Organic Agro-business Development project. This is the first grant won by the Westmoreland Organic Farmers Society (WOFS) and I have taken great pleasure in facilitating the process from the conceptualization phase to now.

Back in August I led a needs assessment and priority ranking exercise with WOFS. It was an eye opening experience for me and the farmers. Through the process we all learned that the collective needs and priorities were not exactly what we assumed they may be. The greatest of these needs were water, seeds, fencing, what they call farm houses (sturdy sheds), and agro-processing capacity. This new knowledge allowed us to come to a consensus about what we would like to accomplish over the next two years.

As if providentially ordained, two months later the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) of Jamaica approached the Bluefields community to participate in an alternative livelihoods grant program. During a workshop NEPA explained that coastal communities like Bluefields will be the first to suffer the effects of climate change and alternatives to marine livelihoods will be necessary to adapt to these changes. Among the list of alternatives proffered were organic farming and agro-processing…cha ching! The workshop also informed community groups and organizations of the application process and some of the characteristics of a good proposal. Here was an opportunity to capture what we wanted to work toward in much less time.

The NEPA workshop occurred while I was in the U.S. for my sister’s wedding, so I got all this information second-hand. Then, I got dengue fever from a mosquito and was pretty much useless for two weeks. However, because of that handy-dandy needs assessment we did so recently, it was easy for the group to coalesce around a concept for the proposal. It wasn’t long before I had a first draft and a budget prepared. After a few rounds of revisions, the key leadership of WOFS approved and then we presented the proposal to the entire organization. With their consent, we then sent the proposal in to NEPA and let the waiting game begin.

More members of the group on the day our project began

In late February, we finally got a letter from NEPA congratulating us on being selected as a successful applicant. Two months later (last Tuesday), we got the first check.

I am skipping over a lot of little administrative hurdles we had to cross in the meantime: budget reduction and revisions, amending indicators, negotiating a letter of agreement, and more. In the end we are getting about $12,000USD to install a demonstration farm with rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation, purchase quality seeds, build a fence and a shed, and purchase materials and equipment to boost the agro-processing enterprise of the group. We will also be conducting a series of Farmer Field Schools to reach out to other farmers and fisher folk in the community. Don’t worry; I will devote another blog post to getting more descriptive about the objectives and activities of the project.

Ultimately, this is what I took a 90% pay cut to join Peace Corps to do. I wanted to experience development work absent the six-figure experts. Where goals and objectives and activities are generated from the ground up rather than through the aims of a hulking bilateral or multilateral development organization. The amount of funds I have helped WOFS win could easily be lost as a rounding error in many development projects; I have worked on such projects. However, every dime in this one is going where the beneficiaries want it to go and you certainly can’t say that about a lot of projects around the world.

I am really blessed to have been sent to live and work in this little corner of Jamaica with the great people of WOFS. I can’t wait to share more about this and other projects we are undertaking.

Master's International: Part Three

This is a reblog of the third and final post on student experiences with Peace Corps Master's International (PCMI) in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications at Texas A&M University.

The first two entries in the series described students experiences enrolling in the program and receiving their invitation to serve. For the third part in the series, I was asked to provide my "on the ground" Peace Corps and research experiences as a PCMI participant. I hope you will enjoy. Click the link below. ↓

Master’s International Program: On the Ground

Masters International Series: Part Two

Last week I reblogged a post from the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications at Texas A&M. In that post, a Peace Corps Masters International (PCMI) enrollee shared her experiences in applying to graduate school and Peace Corps with the PCMI option.

The latest post in the series is about another PCMI participant at Texas A&M who has just received his invitation to serve. Click the link below to read his account of discovering where he will serve.

My contribution to this series should be posted in about a week. Please feel free to explore some of the other posts on the ALEC Abroad blog site as well!

Master’s International Program: Invitation to Paraguay

Masters International Series, Part One

As some of you may know by now, I am a participant in Peace Corps Masters International (PCMI). This means I am combining my graduate degree and Peace Corps service such that I completed coursework at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and am conducing thesis research while serving in Jamaica. The Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications back at TAMU operates a blog and is running a three part series of posts from PCMI participants currently enrolled and at various phases.

Part One was published today and features a PCMI participant who is taking classes and awaiting her invitation to a country of service.

Master’s International Program: A View from the Inside

Over the next three weeks, ALEC students Tegan Walker, Orry Pratt and Kevin Fath will share their insights and experiences with Masters International, a program that allows masters students to combine their education with service in the Peace Corps.

The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love

Over two months since the last blog post…my apologies.

A happy farmer and her goods

First order of business, a “big up” to the Westmoreland Organic Farmers Society (WOFS) for putting on a successful 2^nd annual Bluefields Organic Expo & Sorrel Festival on December 20.  The event is still small by most standards, but there were more participants and attendees than last year. Valuable lessons learned and good times had. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of environmentally friendly farming practices and to celebrate sorrel, a staple of the holiday season. The most common sorrel-based product is juice, but we experimented with fritters, festival, gizzada, cakes, and other delights. A fellow PCV was also involved as a group from her community in nearby Beeston Spring participated.

BioChar demonstration

Drummers

Organic Expo & Sorrel Festival

Now, one of the reasons for my lack of blogging is a sort of superstitious hesitance to talk about projects in the making. I would hate to share about something in the works and then follow up with a blog about how or why something failed. However, yesterday was a great day and definitely something worth talking about.

Over two years ago the PCV who preceded me began supporting the farmers’ effort to register their group with Jamaica’s Department of Cooperatives and Friendly Societies. He passed the baton to me back in May and on December 7^th we finally got the final documents signed, sealed, and delivered to our humble organization here in Bluefields. Of course, with this official status comes new responsibility, one of which was to organize and hold an Inaugural General Meeting (IGM). This meant preparing a financial report, establishing a Nominating Committee, creating an agenda, sending notices, and a few other minor details.

Drummers & Dancers

As luck would have it, the IGM was scheduled for February 18 (my birthday). A representative from the Department of Cooperatives and Friendly Societies attended and fortunately arrived a little early. There were a few minor details we needed to correct before the meeting started, but at the end of the day, we got a "passing grade". A report was shared highlighting the achievements of the group and elections were held. WOFS now has a nine member Committee of Management consisting of five females and four males. My supervisor, Brian, maintained presidency and our secretary and treasurer remained the same as well. We also established an Audit Committee, Investigation Committee, Marketing Committee, and Environmental Committee. At the end of the day, many members took up a new position. Admittedly, it will take a little work from me to help outline the roles and responsibilities and transfer a few skills to some. Yesterday’s event is something that has been years in the making and the feeling of excitement and togetherness was palpable yesterday. (See song sung to open the meeting below)

As I have gotten older and hopefully a little wiser, I’ve come to take great joy in seeing others achieve their goals and being able to say I had a little part in making it happen. As I was about to leave the luncheon after the meeting, I mentioned to Brian that I thought today was a great birthday present. I saw his eyes get big as he realized he had forgotten. Before I knew it I had a room full of people singing the Happy Birthday song with all the flair and gusto Jamaica is known for. I know my flushed cheeks showed through my beard, but fortunately I was able to win the battle against my tear ducts. I have come to love the men and women of the farmers group and have no reservations about shedding blood, sweat, or maybe tears as my service continues. I guess this is why they call it the “toughest job you will ever love.” It took eleven months, but I am starting to understand where that phrase comes from.

IGM Meeting

Committee of Management

 PS. I really hope to share an other blog post soon to announce another big achievement based on our efforts here. But again, maybe I am too superstitious to spill the beans now.

Canoe on the Bay

Linnae and I at Rick's Cafe in Negril