Volunteer Stories
James Anderson
Bangladesh
Asia Farmer-to-Farmer Program
This article was originally written and published by the Superior Telegram here.
Photo Credit to Cited Implementing Partner or Cited Entity
Name: James Anderson
Current title/profession: Community and Economic Development Educator, University of Wisconsin
Current hometown: Superior, Wisconsin
Areas of expertise: Extension, higher education, software consulting, curriculum design
ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW
Name of project: Asia Farmer-to-Farmer Program
Location of the project: Bangladesh
Organization that sent the volunteer: Winrock International
VOLUNTEER IMPACT
UW-Extension educator James Anderson recently completed a volunteer assignment in Bangladesh funded by USAID Farmer-to-Farmer program and facilitated by Winrock International. Anderson was invited back by the Bangladesh Department of Youth Development to help them implement a youth entrepreneurship training curriculum that he developed for the department during a 2017 visit.
During his trip, Anderson facilitated a three-day workshop for 40 department trainers and district directors. This training introduced the participants to the two-week entrepreneurship curriculum, and entrepreneur tools, like the Business Canvas Model.
“In addition to the entrepreneurship training, I also role modeled and trained on participatory and experiential teaching methods, which are important to teaching entrepreneurship,” said James Anderson.
James also had an opportunity to teach entrepreneurs, who have started businesses of various types and sizes.
Two two-day workshops were offered for 40 entrepreneurs who previously completed department occupational training and started a small business. During this workshop, James introduced the entrepreneurs to the Business Canvas Model, to identify where their business is now and vision where they would like their business to be in the future. In addition, elements of the Entrepreneur Operation System were introduced to help the entrepreneurs make specific plans to achieve those business goals.
Over the next year, the department will be investing over $100 million in entrepreneur development and training, which includes implementing the curriculum assembled by James Anderson. The department provides occupational training in a variety of agriculture topics, technology, and textile manufacturing and design. The entrepreneurship focus is intended to provide opportunities for program participants that may not exist in the Bangladesh economy.