ACDI/VOCA Honors 5 Volunteers with Charles Cox Excellence in Volunteerism Awards
ACDI/VOCA is proud to honor five volunteers with our 2024 Charles Cox Excellence in Volunteerism Awards. These awards are a tribute to the late Charles Cox, a former ACDI/VOCA staff member with over 30 years of service who was an ardent supporter of our Volunteer Programs. Read more about their assignments below.
Are you interested in volunteering with us? Find a volunteer opportunity here.
Volunteer Cliff Wener, of Illinois, helps transform a dried fruit processing company in Tajikistan
Did you know 10 percent of the world’s dried apricots come from the Sughd Province of Tajikistan? Cliff Wener, a professor at the University of Illinois, traveled to the province as a volunteer with the Market Driven Rural Development Program, funded by USAID and led by ACDI/VOCA.
In the town of Isfara, Cliff advised staff at Mevai Zarrin, a dried fruit processing company, on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) practices to improve product quality, efficiency, and service.
“I engaged with MZ management and employees, immersing fully in understanding the company’s processes and challenges. It was clear that while the company had the potential for success, it lacked certain safety measures that would enhance the quality of its products.”
— Volunteer Cliff Wener
The company took Cliff’s advice and invested $40,000 in upgrades. Wooden pallets were introduced to keep products off the ground, which resulted in a 70 percent reduction in food waste. A new sewage system improved workplace sanitation and a new factory layout streamlined production. The company also upgraded facilities, providing ergonomic furniture, better lighting, and modern washrooms. The impact was immediate and remarkable. Production capacity increased by 35 percent, product losses decreased by 70 percent, and exports grew by 30 percent. With its new ISO 22000 Food Safety System certification, the company also gained access to lucrative European markets.
“Our previous working process was time-consuming and often resulted in significant product loss. Having an expert visit our facility and provide us advice and guidance has truly been transformative for our company. — Bahodur Amonulloev, Owner and Director General of Mevai Zarrin
“Our small intervention is changing the course of not just one company, but an entire community’s future. This intervention has not only benefited MZ growth and profitability but will also have a positive impact on local businesses, the community, and apricot farmers. Together, they will unlock the true potential hidden within the apricot orchards and will bring prosperity to all involved—a true tale of success and achievement.”
— Mohammad Shahroz Jalil, Chief of Party of the Market Driven Rural Development Program
Volunteer Reza Rafie, of Virginia, provides hands-on support to Georgia’s blueberry farmers
In the picturesque Adjara-Guria region of Georgia, a quiet agricultural revolution is blossoming. Demand for blueberries is surging, but many growers lack knowledge of how to optimize their yields.
Recognizing this critical gap, Reza Rafie, a crop management expert from Virginia, traveled to the country of Georgia to get his hands dirty as an ACDI/VOCA volunteer with the USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, & Central Asia, led by ACDI/VOCA. Noticing overly acidic soil in areas like Tetrosan village, Reza recommended farmers use calcium-based, water-soluble, granular fertilizers to rebalance pH levels. He taught farmers that heavy pruning, while useful for shaping plant architecture, could reduce first-year yields, whereas lighter pruning improved both fruit quality and yields. For the region’s more vigorous blueberry varieties, he introduced hedge pruning for optimal airflow and sunlight exposure. The result was healthier growth, higher yields, and increased incomes for farmers, like Zaur Phutkaradze.
Zaur learned best practices in soil management, fertilization, and modern pruning from Reza. He now anticipates growing his blueberry harvest from 500 kilograms this year to 150 tons by 2025.
“With new crops, little information is known, so foreign experts are so important for us to expand our knowledge. Having access to this knowledge is like oxygen for us.”
zaur Phutkaradze, a blueberry farmer
Volunteer Sergio Espinoza, of New York, shares his expertise with Kyrgyzstan’s burgeoning dairy industry
Sergio Espinoza traveled to Kyrgyzstan as an ACDI/VOCA volunteer with the USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, & Central Asia, led by ACDI/VOCA. Bringing his decades of expertise in food and dairy operations, Sergio trained the staff of Rakhat Tan, a dairy processing company, on how to test milk quality to ensure a superior product. He encouraged the company to introduce high-demand products, like Holland cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, and yogurt. He also guided them in how to optimize their production flow and scale up, recommending they double the size of their facility.
While volunteering with Ronaldo Farm, Sergio recognized the company’s world-class infrastructure and proposed leveraging their successful models and sourcing equipment from Russia to further enhance operations. His strategic advice to produce semi-hard and hard cheeses targeted neighboring export markets, offering a roadmap for regional market expansion.
At Naryn State University, Sergio delivered hands-on training in cheesemaking and dairy technologies, enriching the skills of students and future generations of local farmers. His recommendations for upgrading cooling and drainage systems will not only enhance the university’s production capacity but also elevate its role as a center for research and education in the dairy sector.
“We were incredibly impressed by Sergio’s deep expertise and practical solutions. Thanks to his recommendations, we are not only expanding our production but also producing higher-quality dairy products. His training of our students and farmers has been invaluable, giving them skills they can apply immediately in their work“
adilet Mamyrbaev, Head of the Department of Ecology, Agriculture, and Technology at Naryn State University
Recent graduate Ana Lucia Dellien, of Spain, volunteers to help Honduran agribusinesses tell their story
From June to September, Ana Lucia Dellien, a recent graduate of the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals in Spain, collaborated remotely and in person with Honduran agribusinesses as an ACDI/VOCA Service Learning Corps volunteer. She partnered with Feed the Future Food Honduras Sustainable Agribusiness, funded by USAID and led by ACDI/VOCA.
Ana Lucia’s launch of a vibrant marketing campaign showcased the richness of Honduran agriculture through more than 50 social media stories. Along with this campaign, she photographed 17 of the program’s events, led workshops on digital marketing and photography, and orchestrated 120 business-to-business networking meetings. She not only amplified the program’s messages but also bridged gaps by translating reports and engaging with all 44 of the program’s partner alliances. Her creativity and communications skills inspired a global audience, earning her a short-term consultancy with the program following her volunteer assignment.
“Volunteering with the team has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I was able to apply my skills in a fast-paced and impactful environment while learning about the realities of development work on the ground. Collaborating with local teams and seeing first-hand how our efforts were helping to uplift agribusinesses across Honduras gave me a sense of purpose I hadn’t experienced before.”
Volunteer Ana Lucia Dellien
Student Allison Holland, of Connecticut, leads agriculture research in South Africa
Allison Holland, a Yale University graduate student, traveled to South Africa this summer as an ACDI/VOCA Service Learning Corps volunteer to support the Imbewu Farmer Development project, led by ACDI/VOCA affiliate Tanager and the John Deere Foundation. Originally tasked with developing Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) activities, Allison adapted to the needs of the project and analyzed M&E data related to its digital extension pilot. When the rollout slowed, she shifted focus to farmers’ needs for future digital Good Agricultural Practices, which laid the groundwork for the project to be more responsive.
The project used Allison’s research and first-person surveys to inform Year 3 programming and a concept note for a new four-year program in the Eastern Cape. Her recommendations were crucial in helping the project meet targets, implement digital extension activities, develop a climate resiliency plan, and better embed gender and social inclusion into the project.
“My favorite task was interviewing four of the lead farmers and writing one-page profiles on them. It was great to meet the farmers driving our project and gain first-hand accounts of how our program is helping them improve their maize productivity and profitability.” — Allison Holland, Yale University graduate student
Congratulations to each of these award-winning volunteers! Learn more about our Volunteer Programs.
Read the stories of past Charles Cox Excellence in Volunteerism awardees here.
