Agriteam Canada Field Notes

[Field Notes] Nigeria-Canada Project Team Building Retreat

2008-11-05T22:56:27+00:00

There are retreats and then there are retreats. Some retreats are all business; others are all social, and then there are ones like the Nigeria Health project that have a good balance between the two while providing opportunities for networking, learning, and focusing on the future.

The new project team gathered in the quiet town of Jos, capital of Bauchi province for this four day retreat. Under the skilful guidance of a highly qualified facilitator, team members participated in a series of activities geared towards building team and individual capacity. Cleverly, team groupings were organized to allow for embedding the learning into the day-to-day activities when they returned to their posts.

The activities provided every opportunity for team members to interact with colleagues from within their office and from the other project offices; some team members met for the first time while others renewed and built on established relationships. The retreat concluded with the development of a pledge for commitment to the goal of the project and to working as a team to benefit all.

A positive learning event for all.

Bill Lockhart
Field Manager

[Field Notes] China Earthquake Field Note

2008-05-22T07:34:02+00:00

On Monday, May 12, 2008, a massive earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck the province of Sichuan, China. Tens of thousands of people were killed or left trapped in collapsed buildings. In the critical days following, emergency teams struggled over severely damaged roads to reach the survivors in isolated mountain towns and villages. Paul Schuster, who works on the Livestock Health Extension Services Project, lives with his wife Michelle and their four children in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan.

On May 13, he wrote:

“Michelle and I are heading up a red cross team driving out to Mian Yang. I will be driving our van. We are going out this morning to buy medical supplies. We are buying in quantities of 4000. We head out this afternoon or tomorrow for a 36 hour shift. The county we are heading to has reported 19,000 buried and only minimal aid has reached them. Our scouting team is looking for access roads and a place for base camp.”

“Will check in later.”

Paul

[Field Notes] Agriteam’s SJE Project Expands

2008-05-22T07:20:03+00:00

Our SJE (Supporting Jordan’s Education Reform) project recently received some excellent recognition for the outcomes it has achieved to date. The project is working to decentralize the responsibility for education to the districts of Jordan, to further the aim of generating local solutions to local issues.

I was at the kick-off of the SJE expansion to a further three districts of Jordan—Mafraq East, Mafraq West and Mafraq Centre—on April 19, 2008. At this very successful event, the Jordanian Minister of Education, His Excellency, Dr. Tayseer Al Naimi, spoke to approximately 200 district officials, district supervisors, school principals, teachers, students and parents, saying:

“… the (SJE) accomplishments reached in the first two pilot districts are sufficient for the Ministry to announce that this program will be introduced in all education directorates beginning with the second phase of the ERfKE (Education Reform for the Knowledge Economy) project…his Majesty, King Abdullah II has said on more than one occasion that the people who most appreciate having the right to make a decision are those people who are most affected by that decision. Therefore people who are responsible for providing effective educational services at the school and district should be those most responsible…”

The Minister’s endorsement of the SJE model has long-term implications for the direction of education reform throughout Jordan and highlights the important contribution of CIDA in the sector.