ACDI/VOCA President Named Chair of the Alliance for Global Food Security

On December 4 ACDI/VOCA President and CEO Carl Leonard was unanimously approved to serve as chair of the Alliance for Global Food Security (formerly known as the Alliance for Food Aid) for 2009. The AGFS is a group of 15 NGOs, including such organizations as Africare, World Vision, Adventist Development and Relief Agency, United Methodist Committee on Relief and Land O'Lakes, that conducts a range of food aid and food security programs in developing countries. Leonard will chair the alliance's annual meeting and will represent the AGFS at high-level meetings with government officials, members of Congress and international bodies. The alliance promotes agricultural development, nutrition, and food aid interventions with an emphasis on programs and business solutions that mobilize and build capacity at the community and smallholder level.

ACDI/VOCA Distributes Aid to Hurricane-affected Communities in Haiti

ACDI/VOCA and its partner, the Bureau de Nutrition et Développement (BND), distributed provisions from USAID, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and UNICEF to 1,124 households affected by recent hurricanes in La Vallée, Belle Anse and Bainet, Haiti. The provisions included eight-day food rations from the ACDI/VOCA USAID project and hygiene kits, water purification kits, plastic sheets and jerry cans. Additional distributions occurred in Jacmel and Côtes de Fer. The collection and distribution of provisions were closely coordinated by the United Nations Office Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA). Within the Southeast Department, where ACDI/VOCA manages a USAID Title II food security program, the Direction of Civil Protection (DCP) estimated that 22,000 people were affected. More.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, will support CredAgro, a microfinance institution founded by ACDI/VOCA in 2000, with two loans to benefit CredAgro's microcredit and small enterprise customers. IFC will provide a subordinated loan of $4 million with an 8-year tenure and an option to convert into the equity of CredAgro, and a senior loan of $6 million with a 3-year tenure. CredAgro is one of the leading microfinance institutions in Azerbaijan. It is known for its work in financing the micro and small enterprises sector throughout Azerbaijan, particularly in rural areas. More.

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Visits ACDI/VOCA-supported IDP Camp

On November 21 U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney viewed critical health services being provided by ACDI/VOCA at an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp on Mindanao. USAID Mission Director Jon Lindborg, USAID Office of Health Chief Aye Aye Thwin and World Food Program officials accompanied the ambassador to the Pilot Elementary School IDP Camp in Dato Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. ACDI/VOCA's involvement is through the Sustainable Health Improvements through Empowerment and Local Development project. More.

East Timor's Gender Land Law Working Group held a workshop to recommend ways to strengthen women's rights to land and property through inheritance. The working group was established in May with support from ACDI/VOCA, the East Timor Ministry of Justice, East Timor's Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality (SEPI), and ARD, Inc., to further efforts to address gender equality in forthcoming legislation on land and property. Idelta Maria Rodrigues, secretary of state for the promotion of equality, said, "Developing mechanisms to strengthen women’s rights to land and property are important to move forward and give women security, particularly in the event that they become separated, widowed or divorced." More.

From November 4 to 21, ACDI/VOCA Senior Technical Director for the Enterprise Development and Competitiveness Portfolio Steve McCarthy and Project Coordinator Hannah Schiff conducted a 3-week value chain training and field analysis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The initial three-day training was conducted under the USAID-funded Partnerships in Innovation and Knowledge in Agriculture (PIKA) project. As a subcontractor to World Vision on this two-year project, ACDI/VOCA shared its expertise in its signature value chain approach, which forms the foundation of PIKA. Twelve World Vision India local staff members who are implementing the project attended the training. Many of the participants remarked that the concepts were new and eye-opening to them, and the more-experienced staff began discussing ways the industrywide, market-oriented approach would apply to their other economic development programs. More.

Nisreen Rashid, an officer of ACDI/VOCA's USAID-funded Marla Ruzicka War Victims Fund since 2004, participated in the Iraqi Women’s Peace-Builders' Conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., October 17-November 5. One of 10 women representing Iraq who attended the conference, Rashid served as a representative of a northern province and with other conference participants met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Department of State Under Secretary Paula J. Dobrianksy, Congresswomen Kay Granger (R-TX) and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), and Iraqi Ambassador to the United States Samir Sumaidaie. They also met with representatives from the World Bank, USAID and United States Institute for Peace donors and international NGOs. More.

On October 29 ACDI/VOCA's Managing Director of the Emerging from Conflict Portfolio Sally Iadarola attended a luncheon with guest of honor Ambassador Husain Haqqani of Pakistan. The luncheon was sponsored by the American International Group, Inc. (AIG). Ambassador Haqqani, who was sworn in as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States in April 2008, addressed at the luncheon Pakistan's complex and evolving relationship with America. A professor and the author of numerous books, he currently edits the journal Current Trends in Islamist Thought and writes a syndicated column for several newspapers in South Asia and the Middle East. More.

Dr. Susan Schram, vice president for outreach and cooperative programs, presented the paper "Cooperatives: Pathways to Economic, Democratic, and Social Development in the Global Economy" at the recent International Cooperative Alliance Research Conference in Riva del Garda, Italy, on October 15–18. The paper, developed under the aegis of the Overseas Cooperative Development Council's Development Committee, was well received. European Union participants reported using it as a model as they map contemporary cooperative development accomplishments for policymakers. More.

ACDI/VOCA honored five of our most dedicated and experienced volunteers at a gala luncheon at Washington’s Phoenix Park Hotel on September 18. Dave Adams, Bob Albrecht, Jim Valentine, Tom Dobler and Poul Hansen have all served as volunteers since the early '90s, and all continue their service today. At the event the volunteers described how their work has had lasting impact on beneficiaries, as well as on their own lives. More.

Veteran ACDI/VOCA volunteer Poul Hansen donated to the VOCA Foundation the cost for his trip to the above award luncheon. The Foundation was established in 1997 as a 501(c)(3) organization to preserve ACDI/VOCA's longstanding volunteer ethic. Hansen donated $1,149.30, which included his airline ticket, hotel bill, per diem and cab fares. Volunteer Programs Director Diana Roach said, "We invited Poul to the luncheon to honor him, and instead he honored us with his generous contribution.” Last month, Poul, who has logged over 4,000 hours of dedicated service, left for his sixth Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) volunteer assignment in Armenia alone. He and his hosts wanted to make sure they learned how to make Havarti cheese and seized the chance to do it before the program closed in Armenia.

ACDI/VOCA has won two new USAID FtF awards for projects in the Middle East and in West Africa (see New Business in sidebar). While excited to begin working in new regions, we must sadly say farewell to several long-standing programs and staff in Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Central Asia, Kenya and Uganda. We are proud of our successes with these FtF programs and look to similar impact we and our expert volunteers can have in new regions. More

On October 2 USAID/Vietnam Interim Director Roger Carlson visited ACDI/VOCA’s SUCCESS Alliance project in Dak Lak Province. Carlson met with Dinh Van Khiet, vice chairman of the Dak Lak Provincial People’s Committee (PPC). Khiet praised the achievements of the SUCCESS Alliance and spoke about the enthusiasm for increasing its reach throughout the region. Carlson also commended the Alliance and announced the approval of funding for the next two years. The SUCCESS Alliance will expand its current Central Highlands programs to include Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces. More.

ACDI/VOCA was saddened to learn that James Mangan, who developed the ACDI/VOCA farmer field school (FFS) methodology and curriculum in Indonesia, Vietnam and Ecuador, has passed away. In the field of curriculum development and FFS methodology, James was simply without peer. His passing was noted in the November issue of the industry journal Coffee and Cocoa International. Click here to read tributes to James Mangan and view a photo gallery of his service with ACDI/VOCA.

Helping Liberian Farmers Protect Trees, Plan Futures

Liberia is home to two-thirds of the Upper Guinean Rainforest, named by global conservation groups as a biodiversity hotspot needing protection. It also has been a conflict hotspot with two devastating civil wars within the last two decades. As peace finally came to Liberia in 2004, people began returning from refugee camps to take stock of their homes and plan their futures.

Among those was Mr. Donso, who returned to his overgrown family farm and was faced with the decision to either protect his trees or chop them down to plant rice and earn ready money for his family. But with ACDI/VOCA's help, Mr. Donso managed to keep his trees and earn much-needed income through cocoa farming skills gained under the USDA-funded Livelihood Improvement for Farming Enterprises project. "Because I heard that ACDI/VOCA was coming to train us in growing cocoa, I stopped cutting down my trees for a rice farm," Mr. Donso said. "With assistance, I will grow cocoa for big prices on the market."

To read Mr. Donso's full story, click here.

Long-term Overseas and Consultant Positions: We are looking to fill the following positions:

Sierra Leone: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

Pakistan: Micro and Small Enterprise—Market Linkages Development Specialist

In addition, we're looking for applicants with expertise in

• conflict-affected regions
• infrastructure development
• horticulture (fruit and vegetables)
• specialty crops (cocoa, coffee, spices)
• cereals
• value chain or subsector analysis and value chain development

Please visit our website for more career opportunities.

Volunteer Positions: We need volunteers on an ongoing basis for short-term (typically two to three weeks) assignments who have the following expertise:

• horticulture, especially related to tomatoes and fruit trees
• strategic planning for cooperatives or association strengthening
• impact assessment training focusing on food security projects

We are actively seeking specialists in agriculture, cooperative development, horticulture or small and medium-sized enterprise development who are fluent in French. If interested, please update or create your e-Profile here.

Please visit our website for more volunteer opportunities and information.

2008 Annual ACDI/VOCA Photo Contest Results

ACDI/VOCA-Bolivia is the grand prize winner in our 2008 Annual Photo Contest. The winning photo is of a beneficiary drying cocoa using modern techniques as part of our Integrated Community Development Fund program. The photo contest received 623 submissions—the most ever in its history. Check out the runner-up winners and honorable mentions on our website here.