Honoring Ancestral Connections

These two individuals, George Wasington Carver and Booker T. Washington educated my paternal grandfather, the Rev. John E. George. He was a graduate of the-then Tuskegee Institute’s class of 1912 where he majored in blacksmithing. I take great pride in his accomplishments. Indeed, Tuskegee is an indispensable pillar in the edifice my family constructed to overcome the vestiges of slavery and Jim Crow. Along with my grandmother, Lessie J. George, he built a legacy of service and sacrifice I am proud to embrace as my own.

Winrock International invited me to discuss my Farmer to Famrer (F2F) Volunteer Experience in Senegal at the 82nd Professional Agricultural Workers Conference hosted by Tuskegee University in Montgomery, Alabama.  I am pleased to report that PAWC accepted my proposal. Below, you will find the Abstract:

Cultivating Leadership Stories in Rural Senegal: Winrock International’s Farmer to Farmer Volunteer Program

Winrock International, an implementing partner for the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), developed the Farmer to Farmer (F2F) Program to deploy the expertise
of U.S. volunteers to supplement and enhance the capacity of West Africa’s agricultural sector.
In May 2024, Dr. Atim Eneida George, a retired U.S. diplomat, artist, and educator, served as an
F2F Volunteer, working closely with F2F Senegalese Staff, Messrs. Abibou Diaw and
Youssouph Sané.  Employing the African philosophical construct of Ubuntu, Dr. George
designed the capacity building program to help a cohort of 20 participants from the Keur Maba
Diakhou Cooperative Society (KMD) understand their leadership journeys, both individually and
collectively. On a daily basis, she gave each participant an artifact, beginning with the Prosper
Africa lapel pin. A strategic choice, the pin represented their shared purpose—the goal of
ensuring Africa’s prosperity is widely shared. Dr. George employed the Best Self Methodology,
along with the River of Life, an Arts-Based Research (ABR) Methodology, to help participants
explore and articulate their leadership narratives. This approach allowed KMD leaders to reflect
on their journeys, both as individuals and as a cooperative, strengthening their sense of purpose
and cohesion. The capacity building program included additional modules on Communications
and Advocacy as well as Conducting a Needs Assessment and a SWOT Analysis. An
unexpected opportunity arose when the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF)
announced a grant for agricultural cooperatives. Mr. Diaw’s translation of the Call for Proposals
into Wolof facilitated the group’s efforts to apply for this potential funding which, if granted, could
significantly enhance KMD’s operations.  Dr. George plans to present excerpts from her social
media posts that illustrate, in part, the essential role that KMD’s farmers play in Senegal’s food
security efforts. F2F is an excellent example of the use of America’s soft power in supporting
African agricultural development.

Keywords: Capacity Building, Leadership, Food Security, Winrock International, Farmer to
Farmer, an Arts-Based Research (ABR) Methodology, Volunteer, Soft Power, Ubuntu

So, as I told the Ancestors when I visited the Door of No Return on Goree Island, you have returned in me. Peace, Dr. G. #Generative_Gaze, #DrG, #legacy, #Family, #Tuskegee, #capacitybuilding