Wisconsin Volunteers Travel to Guyana

By -
On April 17th, two volunteers from Wisconsin traveled to Georgetown, Guyana to fill a “non-traditional” Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer assignment: video production. This is the second volunteer assignment for video producer, Cheryl Diermyer, and the first for Pat Fellows. Their assignment the first week is to produce a training video on Hydroponic Shadehouse Gardening.

Over the past few years the unpredictable weather patterns, long periods of drought and especially rain and flooding, have made traditional gardening challenging and not profitable for many gardeners in Guyana. A new method of gardening is being introduced to the Guyanese, Hydroponic Shadehouse Gardening. While it is beginning to catch on among some gardeners/farmers, it is hoped this video will assist Hydroponic Shadehouse staff with training. The video will also help to introduce Hydroponic Shadehouse gardening to farmers, assist those who have already built their Shadehouses, make improvements to their structures as they expand, and better manage pests.

During the first week in Guyana, Cheryl and Pat interviewed and videotaped two Hydroponic Shadehouse owners who shared information that will be used in the training video. Over 200 photographs and approximately 2 hours of video was shot of the Shadehouses, the owners, and their yield.

This past weekend, Easter weekend, a huge holiday in Guyana, was celebrated. In addition to the traditions of attending church on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the Guyanese eat hot cross buns on Holy Thursday and have a huge celebration on Easter Monday where everyone gathers near the seawall to fly kites, celebrating the Resurrection. This was quite an amazing sight, hundreds of kites in the air at one time.

The first week here was very productive, as well as very fulfilling for us. Getting to know the families we spent time with during recording and learning more about the Easter customs of Guyana has given us a wonderful glimpse into the lives of the Guyanese people as we continue our work here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Better Marketing and Communications to Showcase the Work of our Hosts in Colombia

By -
Image
Salva Terra Foundation has focused on supporting vulnerable communities through sustainable agriculture. They work with impoverished populations and victims of violence in Medellin and aim to promote farming and develop local skills to work in the agricultural industry in an ecological manner. This process of bringing together concepts such as social impact, sustainable development, environmental protection, and food security requires excellent outreach and promotion. Therefore, they requested a F2F volunteer to help them develop a communication and marketing plan. The chosen volunteer for this assignment was Dr. Sindy Chapa. She has a B.A. in Mass Media Communications, with a Minor in Television and Art Design, an MBA, and Ph.D. in International Business/Marketing. She is the Director and Associate Professor at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University and has won several communications awards. Dr. Chapa decided to use Salva Terra as one of the case ...
Read more

Digital Marketing in Colombia

By -
Image
Digital Marketing is one way that entrepreneurs and producers across the globe can reach new markets and increase sales. But what is digital marketing and how can a small Colombian business use it to maximize the number of people who come across its brand? These are the questions that Zen Naturals was asking itself. Zen Naturals is a natural cosmetic manufacturing company based in Cali, Colombia. Zen Naturals develops natural cosmetics made from exotic ingredients from Colombia’s outstanding biodiversity. Through ethical manufacturing and fair trade practices, they are also taking a leadership role in re-investing in the communities that grow the ingredients used in their products. Currently, Zen Naturals supports more than 95 Colombian quinoa farming communities through Fair-Trade Practices and technical assistance on their production. Zen Naturals is preparing to launch their quinoa facial care products in Whole Foods Markets in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in 2017....
Read more

Supporting Anti-Child Labor Projects in Ecuador and Panama

By -
Image
EducaFuturo is a program currently being implemented by Partners of the Americas in Ecuador and Panama. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), EducaFuturo seeks to combat child labor in both countries through educational programs, vocational training, and livelihood services. F2F has partnered with EducaFuturo on numerous occasions over the past 5 years, sending 7 volunteers to support their efforts in improving the educational outcomes of youth involved in child labor, while also increasing the income opportunities of households to reduce reliance on child labor. Volunteers have provided training on a range of topics, including sustainable production practices, processing, business management, and marketing. In January 2016, F2F volunteer Carmen Pacheco-Borden traveled to Panama to work with native Ngabe-Bugle women’s groups in the tomato farming communities of Hato Chami and Boca de Monte to make value-added products from their harvests and consequently increase their hous...
Read more