Come September I will be moving to Lilongwe, Malawi to work for the Farmers Union of Malawi or [FUM]. This is an eight month placement that is required by my International Development program at the University of Waterloo. This placement will provide us with real field experience to better further our knowledge on the inner workings of a non-government organization and get our hands dirty in the field of development. Needless to say, this will be the experience of a lifetime.I first heard about the Farmers Union when talking to some of the students in my program already on placement. A girl named Rylea told me she had lots of work to do with her organization and she was doing a lot of work in the gender department. Instantly this sparked my interests. TELL ME MORE! TELL ME MORE! We continued to stay in contact as I was narrowing down my options. I have always had a strong desire to see the world, but living in Africa has forever been a dream of mine. After learning more about Rylea's work at her organization I thought to myself, this is it. This is the one. A great way to see how things work, get some field experience, work on a new language, and start to really understand what the word "development" actually means! SIGN ME UP!
After an interview process with WUSC, the World University Services of Canada, I had sealed the deal and received my information package! It was official! I got the job! So here's a little bit about the organization I'll be working for and what they do!
FARMERS UNION OF MALAWI
"Ensuring that farmers play an active, meaningful role in the design, formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, strategies, programs and plans aimed at improving their own livelihoods."
Objectives:- To promote the development of strong farmers' representation in Malawi,
- To support strengthening member organizations capacity to deliver adequate services to their members,
- To advance and protect the common interest of affiliated farmers' organizations locally, regionally, and internationally.
Achieving Objectives Through:
- Organization, Business and Market Development
- Research, Policy Analysis, Lobbying & Advocacy
- Information Management & Communication
- Strategic Networking and Coordination
- Women and Youth Farmers
- To strengthen the capacity of FUM and its members
- Improved governance of FO
- To enhance the legitimacy and relevance of FUM to represent farmers in Malawi
- To promote strategic linkages between FUM and key institutions as well as between members and partners
- To participate in the formulation of national and regional policies and programs
- To promote sustainable development in agriculture
- To improve market access and promote trade opportunities at all levels
- To enhance access to and promote the use of agricultural information
For more information visit the Farmers Union of Malawi website!
So how has your experience with FUM been? It would be great to hear more about the work you have been doing as well as your thoughts of Malawi and FUM.
ReplyDeleteI was with FUM for 13 months with WUSC in 2008-2009 helping set up their Lobbying, Research and Advocacy Department.
Jules Arntz-Gray