Larry Badger completed a three month volunteer project with the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), based in Nairobi. He was sent to train famers on the use of proper fertilizers and enhance their knowledge of various farming techniques but things began to change as soon as the program realized Larry’s background was in film and video production. Larry was approached with the idea of helping to make a video on the use of hazardous materials by farmers. His video(s) could then be shown to agro-dealers in Uganda, governments and trade organizations for educational purposes.

Larry says, "The experience here has been fantastic. I’ve learned so much about Africa and its people. I’ve come to know and understand how IFDC works in this part of the world. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with each and every member of the IFDC team. Top to bottom. Great people and very gracious to this RPCV and Encore Volunteer. I hope I’ve given as much as I have received. Thank you Encore."

Read more about Larry's experiences on our blog here and here.

Gene Marsh was a Johnson and Johnson nurse educator in 2010. She says, "[t]he project has not ended for me." After serving as a nurse educator in Kenya, Gene was able to better understand the needs of the community. Gene spoke of her experience by saying,"My own background was a good fit with the project goals. I was always touched by how hard people worked, how much they wanted to learn, how much they appreciated assistance with their own efforts. I constantly learned from them and I believe they
also learned from me."

Among several other accomplishments upon her return, Gene was able to write a successful grant application to the Shearwater Foundation for PhD scholarships in nursing for Moi University nursing faculty.

This grant money has been awarded to two recipients thus far. Read more about awardees Geoffrey and Kyololo on our blog.

In September 2009, Nancy Paulin arrived in Kenya to meet the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute team. ILRI, which aims to alleviate poverty in the developing world by providing livestock management information to cattle herders, was in the midst of trying to make its website more current, placing new content on the site on a regular basis.

For three months Paulin worked with the ILRI team in Nairobi and Addis Abba, Ethiopia, helping its public awareness team with the technical aspects of placing information on the Internet. When the team wanted to upload pictures to their blog, Paulin showed them how to use Flicker, an Internet site that allows people to store their photographs online. She helped the organization maintain its front page and distribute the information it collects.

Paulin said that she "never really expected that there was going to be a need for a volunteer with computer skills," but soon found she was able to help put her skills to good use with Encore's help. In the end she said that no matter what,"[i]t's all about the people you meet." She feels that,"[w]ith volunteer experiences you often get more than you give; you share your culture and learn about another culture. It's an exchange."