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ACDI/VOCA to Share VEGA Grant
ACDI/VOCA volunteer selected for Co­op Hall of Fame
Runnebaum Leads Pack in AIDS­Awareness Motorcycle Ride
International Year of Rice
Iraq Microfinance Project
Environmental Film Festival Highlights Cocoa Project
Recruitment Spotlight
 


ACDI/VOCA volunteer selected for Co­op Hall of Fame

This month, at a ceremony at the National Press Club, Henry Schriver of Ohio will be inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame. When he went to Russia in 1994 on a cooperative development assignment, he was at a vigorous age 80, one of our oldest volunteers. A fixture in the U.S. cooperative community, he had plenty of savvy for the assignment. Also, he said his age was an asset because he was presumed wise and had memories of the Great Depression that enabled him to relate to his Russian hosts who at the time were struggling in a barter economy. The Russian word for cooperative had negative connotations associated with state control, so the idea of trusting one another and working together for mutual gain was revolutionary. Henry has been an effective recruiter for ACDI/VOCA ever since, quick to tell stories about that trip, made in the middle of a cold Russian winter. The Russians are probably still telling stories, too, about the crazy American who just wouldn’t wear a fur hat. Henry invited the Russians to come to America to see for themselves the payoff of co-op development. They responded that they probably couldn’t come, but that they would work to endow such a privilege to their children. (back to top)


Environmental Film Festival Highlights Cocoa Project

ACDI/VOCA’s video, "Renewing Hope for Cocoa Farmers in Sulawesi, Indonesia," was shown March 24 at the twelfth annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital. The screening took place at the National Arboretum as part of a program entitled "Chocolate! From Beans to Candy Bars." The ACDI/VOCA video documents its SUCCESS Alliance in Indonesia, a grassroots effort, funded first by USDA and now under USAID's Global Development Alliance, that coordinates research and farmer training to improve cocoa farming practices and combat the destructive cocoa pod borer. The project, involving 80,000 small-scale growers, seeks to strengthen the industry and reposition farmers higher on the cocoa market chain. A short film from the World Cocoa Foundation and a short talk by cocoa expert ACDI/VOCA's T.J. Ryan were also featured. Yes, chocolate snacks were served! (back to top)

ACDI/VOCA to Share VEGA Grant

USAID has awarded a 5­year, $2.5 million grant to the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA) to implement a leader­with­associates grant. VEGA supports global economic growth through volunteer technical assistance. ACDI/VOCA is a founding member of the Alliance, which includes the International Executive Service Corps, Citizens Democracy Corps, Winrock International, Partners of the Americas, the Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs, Land O'Lakes, the Financial Services Volunteer Corps and TechnoServe. 

Under the leader grant umbrella, ACDI/VOCA will receive mission­funded associate grants to strengthen local organizations, target industry sub­sectors and clusters, link volunteer activities to long­term donor programs, create access to market opportunities, concentrate on groups of communities, engage the public sector to create a sustaining environment, and develop exit strategies. The first associate grant proposal has already been submitted by USAID­Bulgaria to VEGA to develop a follow­on to the successful FLAG small and medium­sized enterprise development project in which ACDI/VOCA participated. (back to top)


 Runnebaum Leads Pack in AIDS­Awareness Motorcycle Ride

Country Representative Bernie Runnebaum, who is also president of the Uganda Bikers Association, was among 12 riders from six nations who completed a 21­day, 3,767 mile motorcycle trip from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Kampala, Uganda, to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. ACDI/VOCA's Okia Eremegio accompanied the riders in a support role. The cyclists, who were dubbed "ambassadors of hope" by Uganda Minister of Health Mike Mukula, were supported by WHO and UNAIDS, and sponsored by Ernest &
"It's a big challenge to ride from Johannesburg to Kampala , but AIDS is also a challenge."
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­Bernie Runnebaum
Young, Victoria Motors, AIG, World Wide Movers, KOBIL, Shoprite, Uganda Tourism Board, South African Airways, Case Medical Centre, WBS­TV and others. They also received the cooperation of U.S. embassies along the way. Traveling through South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, they conducted press conferences and other activities to promote Uganda's successful ABC approach (A=abstinence, B=behavior change, C=use of condoms) to combating the pandemic. Literature and over 12,000 condoms, provided by the Ugandan Ministry of Health, were distributed. $7,500 raised by the ride will support Ugandan HIV/AIDS orphans. "It's a big challenge to ride from Johannesburg to Kampala, but AIDS is also a challenge," Runnebaum said. A former Kansas grain trader who’s served for 13 years in Uganda, Runnebaum heads up ACDI/VOCA’s USAID­funded Title II food distribution and information program targeted at households most affected by the disease. More information on the ride is available at www.ugandabikers.com. (back to top)


 Iraq Microfinance Project

As we prepare this newsletter the situation in Iraq has heated up, and yet ACDI/VOCA’s Community Action Program has continued to log impressive progress, exceeding the ambitious first­90­day targets by completing 72 small­scale community­driven reconstruction and revitalization projects. Recently ACDI/VOCA was awarded a grant from the Coalition Provisional Authority for an additional project—this one to provide $4 million in loans to micro­ and small­scale entrepreneurs through a non­bank financial institution. The resulting Al­Thiqa Small Business Loan Foundation has been registered and has already issued 248 individual loans, many to women, totaling $677,792. (back to top)

 

International Year of Rice

For the first time, the United Nations has declared a year in honor of a crop, marking 2004 as the International Year of Rice and promoting the theme "Rice is life." Scientists and researchers with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research have long been active in creating rice varieties to meet the needs of people around the world. The Green Revolution of the 60s helped triple and quadruple rice yields, and continuing rice research helps feed almost half the world and brings better health and more sustainable livelihoods to rice farmers and consumers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. (back to top)

ACDI/VOCA currently needs volunteer experts for the following assignments:

080010 Paraguay: An ag engineer with an irrigation specialty is needed to design the final stage of a medium­scale irrigation system. Assess water volume for crop production, prepare blueprints and schematic designs, and specify required hardware and other inputs. Provide training on efficiency of water delivery systems for production systems. April or May for 2­3 weeks.

 358023/358024 Bolivia: Two assignments are available in different regions to analyze citrus fruit processing and byproduct potential. They require skills and experience in tropical fruits processing. Spanish skills highly desirable. One starting in May the other in June for 4 weeks each.

 394002 Kenya: A gender mainstreaming specialist is needed to work with maize farmers associations to assess constraints in implementing gender equality and develop strategy to address constraints. Starting in May or June for 3­4 weeks.

 332149 Armenia: An expert in goat cheese production technology is requested to assist a local producer with hands­on training in technological processes and specifications as well as facility design. Early May for 2 weeks.

 332151 Armenia: Sheep cheese producers request assistance in herd management, increasing quantity of milk and quality of cheese. Volunteer needs to teach sheep milk production, collection and processing technology. Mid­April to early May for 2 weeks.

 374019 Kazakhstan: A trainer in conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution is requested to conduct site visits and training activities in four communities. May 1 for 3 weeks.

 331452 Russia: A specialist with a strong background in organic food production, marketing and promotion and all issues of management, quality control, branding and staff training is needed. May 16­June 1.

 331462 Russia: A management specialist with a background in potato production and processing is requested to help an enterprise develop management, marketing and financial operations. August 28­September 14.

 331467 Russia: A warehouse/logistics management specialist is needed to perform an operational audit of a fish processing company's warehouse and help improve overall management of its operations. May 30­June 15.
 

If you or a colleague is interested in these assignments, please contact our recruitment department at: volunteer@acdivoca.org. (back to top)