Volunteer-Based Technical Assistance
PROJECT LIST
It is often said that America’s greatest resource is its people. In its efforts to help other countries develop, the United States needs to harness Americans’ wonderful spirit of volunteerism. Experienced in making a living in the most competitive private enterprise system in the world, every American has know-how that can help people in other countries increase their family’s income, and many Americans welcome the opportunity to volunteer some of their time to make that happen. The challenge is to acquaint these prospective volunteers with the opportunities that exist and then provide them and their overseas hosts the support they need to get acquainted and begin exchanging information.
CNFA® specializes in organizing volunteer-based training programs. We have conducted more than 1,000 volunteer assignments in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Within its Farmer to Farmer Program and through its participation in the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA), Volunteers for Prosperity, and other economic development projects, CNFA applies its experience and know-how:
- To identify where American volunteer training can make a valuable contribution to development
- To design volunteer assignments to provide that training.
In this way, CNFA provides opportunities for active and retired businesspeople, farmers, bankers, professors, civil servants, and others to take short- and longer-term assignments to help less fortunate people respond to the demands of markets, improve production, and increase their incomes.
CNFA in-country staff invest the time necessary to become well acquainted with hosts and understand their needs. Using the time-tested CNFA Integrated Project Design and Evaluation System (IPDES), they ensure that assignments are designed to have a beneficial impact. Afterwards, the staff thoroughly evaluate lessons learned from the training experience and what the impact has been. For example, CNFA was able to report that 5,276 individuals (15,912 counting family members) in Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus experienced a total increase in income of over $1.2 million in one year, thanks to volunteer training received through the CNFA Farmer to Farmer Program. CNFA ensures that its volunteers are fully briefed for their assignments. CNFA provides full logistical support for the assignment including transportation, housing, meals, and interpreters.
EURASIA
AFRICA
CENTRAL ASIA/MIDDLE EAST
