FANTASTIC NEWS: 2009 is finally over!!!!

Dec 31, 2009 01:29 am

Hi.....

Now, I am not trying to be a pessimist but I think many of you would agree with me that 2009 was not a fabulous year. I havdecided that instead of celebrating the incoming 2010, I am simply thrilled 2009 is finally over!!!!!!!! The global financial crisis did not make Africa a fabulous place to work or try to find investment but I have never been a patient person. I was humbled this year but maybe that is exactly what I needed.

I am looking forward to a fabulous January. I have just hired a new intern, Patrick who is brilliant. He will be helping to put the final touches on the Backpack Farm manual which will be released in late January, early February. Meanwhile I am busy working on the final draft of our impact study which will be launched 2nd week of January. I have a growing list of pilot program submissions to the World Bank, World Wildlife Federation and a few others. Last but not least, we have to finish a new business plan to shop for financing. Some really great people have stepped forward to volunteer to help us finish this documentation, including one person who has responded to our request on Change Agents.

The list of work will go on... I am going to focus on making some funding happen in Q1 so we can speed up our progress. I would really like to have 10,000 farmers on our program next year and that is going to be no small feat.

So thank you to everyone who has been involved with the Backpack Farm Agriculture Program this year directly or indirectly. If you have even posted a comment of support here on Changents, thank you. I believe that every interaction makes both me and the program stronger. I still have more lessons to learn but have been overwhelmed with the amount of support which is pouring out of my network.

Look for great things to happen in 2010. I believe this will be our year to make a huge splash in Africa and the world at large to educate others about malnutrition, food aid and the potential of building sustainable value chains in rural farming communities.

Rachel