Lebanon April/May 2016

I was delighted to return to Beirut on an assignment for Land O’Lakes/IESC US Aid Farmer to Farmer with ADR (a MFI with concentration in southern Lebanon). My host was Ali Hajizi, the micro credit program manager. Most of my time was spent in Beirut and north of Beirut in Mount Lebanon (a governorate like one of the US states). However I did go to southern Lebanon several times and saw Tyre and Sidon; both have wonderful ruins and seafood! Reconnected with several of the MFI and NGO staff that I had seen two years ago. All are doing well. Conducted a Risk training class for the ADR Loan Officers. Packing now for my trip home for 2 weeks and then on to Angola. My thanks to the Land O Lakes staff in Beirut.

Mozambique CNFA March 2016

I arrived in Maputo Mozambique after staying overnight in JoBurg’s City Lodge. It was necessary to change my itinerary from Beira as the road to Chimoio was not considered “safe”. So I did not have a chance to talk personally with the CNFA staff. However I did see the former CNFA Country Director, Sergio Ussaca, who is now Country Director for AFAP. I flew to Chimoio; an agricultural area where Zembe Seed Company is headquartered. Antonio Manjate is the founder and chairman. He is extremely knowledgeable. He also teaches a finance class for MBAs at the University. My assignment was to assist the Company in developing a strategic plan for the next 3 to 5 years. I traveled to the farm which Zembe uses; met a competitor company; and conducted 3 days of strategic planning with the Zembe staff. Then I wrote. The hotel Castelo Branco was just fine. I also met with US Peace Corps volunteers who were in the hotel. Travel back to Maputo and then the long flight home from JoBurg.

Land O'Lakes Egypt February 2016

I am very excited to be back in Egypt with the wonderful Land O’Lakes staff. It is a very professional but welcoming group. My recruitment and logistics were handled excellently by IESC and Kayla Sainto. My hotel in 6 October City was again Hilton Pyramids. My assignment was to help the staff develop more SOWs (Scopes of Work) in the area of “Access to Finance”. I talked with 9 potential or former clients of LOL about their future needs in this area. One of them was my former assignment host, ABA (Alexandria Business Association) so I renewed my friendships. As before, I had a wonderful Chinese dinner! The rest of my time was writing the basics of the SOWs. I spent several days with the staff in the office and treated all to a Chinese luncheon.

Soyo Angola September 2015

A short intense assignment in the north of Angola with a cooperative of vegetable farmers. Angola was very "flush" with revenue when oil was $1100/barrel; now it is $50 and the economy is not as robust. Great farmers and wonderful participation.

Uganda and Kenya June and July 2015

Back to Back assignments with CRS (Catholic Relief Services) in East Africa. Uganda was a new host (Loro Oyam SACCO) in a formerly visited City - Lira - so I was able to see the progress from my Wassignment last summer with ACWEC (multi thousand Cooperative); another baby girl was born and Willy Okot named here Opio Drennan. I conducted trainings for Loro Oyam with 10 of their groups on Cooperative principals and finance. I also updated the current business plan through 2018 which is necessary for the Ugandan government and other providers. Off to Kenya and Machakos town to work on a Business Plan for a conference center/training facility/ sleeping rooms about 45 minutes out of town. Wonderful group of farmers.

Alexandria Egypt August 2015

The ABA (Alexandria Businessmen's Association has been a vibrant MFI (Micro Finance Institution) in Egypt for more than 25 years. It serves 9 surrounding areas with innovative programs that assist the very poor to understand and utilize finance successfully. My assignment was with IESC (International Executive Services Corps)and Land O Lakes. The assignment was necessitated by a Fall 2014 Egyptian law which required MFIs to segregate all loans over 100,000 EGP into a subsidiary for Micro and Small Entreprises. My assignment was to work with the Credit Review Approval and Credit Review Decision groups to structure changes that were needed.

The Land O Lakes Staff on site is excellent; logistics were handled with professional and The ABA staff gave much of their time and energy to the project. Many thanks!

One of the most memorable Farmer to Farmer assignments

I had the most memorable CNFA (Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture) assignment in April 2015 in Malawi. Madisi Agro Processing Cooperative Society Limited (MAPCOOP) is one of the best young cooperatives I have worked with in the past 7 years. The Managing Director, Watson, has 35+ years in the Ministry of Ag/Cooperatives and he knows how to organize and follow through. MAPCOOP has been the recipient of grants and as well as loans and has been recognized as one of the best cooperatives in the region (if not the country). In addition, MAPCOOP has been very instrumental in converting tobacco farmers to sunflower seeds crops. Every training had 70+ members in the warehouse; all arrived early (!) and stayed after I left. Great participation! I stayed again in the Linde Hotel; it has tripled its lodging rooms and improved the gardens. It is still primarily a convention hotel; during the week it was completely full; on the weekends, it was very quiet. For part of my stay, Bryce Malsbury another CNFA volunteer was also on assignment. His group was not as organized and successful as MAPCOOP; it was arranged for the Chairman and Manager of MAPCOOP to visit the group and give highlights of their success. I left Malawi and travelled to Mozambique to begin an assignment with AFAP (African Fertilizer Agro Dealer Partnership). It was a reunion with Sergio Ussaca, formerly Country Director for CNFA and now the same for AFAP. I traveled from Maputo to Chokwe. My assignment was to work with CPL (Limpopo Producers Savings and Credit Cooperative (CPL) as well as HICEP (Hydraulics of Chokwe) and SAVAL (Limpopo Valley Agricultural Services). CPL is managed by an excellent staff and serves rice farmers as well as business people in the area. On May 1st, the town closed down for Workers’ Day; I marched in the parade with CPL and then joined them for a wonderful pot luck!