Nine months ago, I began the Global Social Benefit Fellowship, with little knowing where it would take me. I liked the idea of social entrepreneurship, but was apprehensive about its ability to change lives; I was wary impact was merely a curtain to raise investment. Though I did find that some enterprises lean away from an impact-driven model, my time with Miller Center showed me that a majority of enterprises are impact-driven and serve as catalysts to improve the lives of others. My work in Ghana was centered around interviews aiming to understand what motivates MoringaConnect and Farmerline farmers and field agents, using interview guides to prompt thought-provoking answers. In the first two weeks of interviews, our time was spent understanding problems. Interview after interview, we heard farmers talk about their struggles - many of which were impossible to relate to. When asked what was needed to improve his or her efficiency, one sales agent asked for a light so he wouldn't have to walk home in the dark, while another asked for a plastic folder so his documents wouldn't get ruined in the rain. Though I tried my best to instill equality between us, the interviewer, and the interviewee, it became hard to maintain as I could not relate to their struggles. As much as I wanted to find points of connection, I left those days in the field feeling very disconnected from the farmers, as our differences far outshined our similarities. As the weeks went by, we altered our questions from understanding daily struggles, to finding potential solutions. By changing our interview guide, we moved away from direct questions, and found ourselves listening to stories. Stories of youth leaving rural communities to find work in the city, stories of western companies coming into communities with false promises, and stories of irregular weather patterns that result in community-wide crop failures. It was through these stories, that we were able to gain a better understanding of the motives that drove a majority of the people in rural Ghanaian communities. We found that the main motivations for the people we spoke with lie in a desire to feel valued, a devotion to provide better lives for their children, and an aspiration to give back to something larger than themselves. It was through these findings that I realized how similar my motives were to these smallholder farmers whose lives were at once so different than my own. Like many of the farmers I interviewed, I am struggling to balance feeling valued on a personal basis, fostering and maintaining quality relationships with those I love, and giving back to my community in a positive way. This understanding was truly remarkable as it showed me that humankind's motives and purpose are largely the same, revealing the humanity interwoven through all of us. This was one of the most beautiful moments of the fellowship: realizing, that despite our obvious differences, there are innate connections within us all. A year ago, I entered the fellowship with broad interests but was very unsure of my vocational calling. I knew I was interested in sustainable agriculture but did not have the experience to know what opportunities lay out there. My work with Miller Center opened my eyes to the endless potential of social entrepreneurship. I was lucky enough to work with a social enterprise that valued impact as their predominant measurement of success. They used a team of individuals from within a community to improve the lives of the entire community. It was the selflessness of this team, and their ability to put the needs of others above their individualistic needs, that inspired me to be a better person. My work this summer gave me insight into the value of working for something bigger than oneself. I applied to the fellowship with a modest understanding of social entrepreneurship and am leaving the fellowship with a desire to work for an agricultural social enterprise. I have always wanted to leave the world a better place than I found it but did not know where to start. Miller Center’s team showed me the importance of supporting individuals with tools needed to improve a community from within. Moving forward, I want to work with a social enterprise that is using agriculture as a catalyst for community development. By following this vocation, I can combine my passion for sustainable agriculture with a calling to help those with fewer opportunities. I am truly grateful for my partners Erin and Kimmie, as well as Keith, Thane, Spencer, and the rest of Miller Center’s team. I am leaving this expencience rejuvenated and inspired to follow my vocation. I am excited to see where my work in sustainable agriculture takes me, and I look forward to continuing all of the meaningful relationships I have made along the way.
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As the sun rose behind us, Erin, Kimmie, and I piled into the back of a motorbike tricycle and headed into the bush. With little idea of where we were going, we bounced and swerved our way through a narrow jungle road. Our driver promised we were close, and just like that, we emerged from the thick cover of wild jungle into rolling fields of moringa trees. We hopped off the bike and after short introductions, began interviewing farmers. Though we tried to keep our questions pertinent to the research, many interviewees began divulging life stories beyond our scope, yet with a level of richness and vulnerability that demanded attention. Caught off guard - and there with a research mission - we tried to keep the conversations on track; yet the farmers continuously turned brief interviews into full encounters. Succumbing to the beauty of the narratives, our initial questions were quickly replaced with admiration and open ears as we learned so much more from their stories and perspectives than our intended quantitative questions. The first time the beauty of these interactions really hit me was during a series of interviews in Ejura, a small community two hours north of Kumasi. As we asked the farmers about their communication with extension officers, it became clear that there were bigger problems at stake, and our specific questions failed to capture the complexity of the farmers hardships. With this, we put our questions aside and began listening. We found out that a series of unfortunate weather patterns, coupled with a host of pest problems, had destroyed harvests for the past few of seasons, leaving the farmers unable to sell their seeds to buyers, including MoringaConnect. Despite frustration in the situation, the farmers surprisingly did not display animosity towards MC for not buying the seeds. Instead, people recognized and continued to appreciate MC’s extensive efforts to save their fields and crops, celebrating the value of relationships and a common goal beyond simply business connections. Even with the current crop failures, the farmers we spoke with were proud of their work and openly invited us to tour their fields. Many of the farmers only had an acre or two of moringa, yet guided us with confidence, dignity, and joy. This was their livelihood, and regardless of yields, they were proud to be a farmer. The farmers land was linked to their identity, and they wanted to show us a glimpse of who they were. By giving me this unique insight into the daily lives of Ghanaian smallholder farmers, my world view completely changed as I became entranced by such a different way of life. Though the differences between us were stark, the sense of a shared humanity amazed me. My time in Ghana was filled with highs and lows. I went from riding a motorbike through the dense jungles of Central Ghana, watching ferns whip by our bike, as an extension officer gave us a glimpse into his life, to the hard reality of confronting privilege on a daily basis. Throughout the ups and downs, the honesty and hospitality of the farmers we interviewed made the experience both humbling and enriching. Though our presence created some farmer bias in the interviews, interviewees opened up to us and brought us into their lives - sharing stories, and showing us a snapshot of their lives. We were led through homes and into fields, where many farmers spend every waking hour, and I quickly gained respect for the farmers we worked with. I entered this program excited to see the science behind Ghanaian agricultural production, but left enthralled by numerous glimpses into the lives of roughly 150 farmers. Many of the farmers we interviewed had very different world views than us, and though it was difficult to not be offended some of their comments, there was beauty in their honesty. Looking back, I feel incredibly lucky to have had the experience I did. For two months, I listened to stories as people opened up their lives in front of me. Throughout my time with MoringaConnect and Farmerline, I realized my calling to learn more about sustainable agriculture in order to support smallholder farmers with the tools needed to improve their own lifes. I am extremely lucky to have been born in the United States, to a family that can afford sending me to Santa Clara. In working with a company like MoringaConnect or Farmerline, I can use my privilege to to help those who did not have the same opportunities as me. By pursuing a career in sustainable agriculture, I can not only give back, but learn from the farmers who feed our world.
It has taken me a long time to find a difference between what I enjoy doing and what fuels me as an individual. I have always had desires to push myself, to see what I am capable of. I always wanted to know what I could do, how I could improve, and how I compared to my peers -- thus pushing my competitive nature. While I’ve always been curious, that curiosity has taken me down a number of different paths. On long road trips, I used to sit and ask my dad hundreds of questions, merely to better understand how the world works and why things operate the way they do. For some reason or another, I lost that curiosity, for I realized it was easier to follow a normal path than find yourself. This is a post on recapturing my curiosity, and the path that led me to becoming a fellow at the Miller Center. From a young age, I found myself to be fairly athletic and a strong runner, I grew early and was simply taller than many of my peers. I eventually found success in running, and subsequently enjoyment through winning. That success fueld me and pushed me to give more and more to my running. I wasn’t pushed by anyone, I wanted to do this for myself; and from an early age, I wanted to do everything I could to give my body the best chance of winning on race day. In highschool, I was lucky enough to share this experience with my best friends, creating an intense bond. It was a very unique experience in which we spent tens of thousands of miles giving running everything we had, for the sake of the sport. We pushed ourselves through the cold, muddy trails of old growth forests; we pushed ourselves to our limits, but we did so together. Through this, we found success both as a team and individually. As in all things, that success did not come without its hardships, for no individual can win every race they run. For as good as we were, we let our poor races define us as people. I put everything into running and became a very one sided individual with nowhere to turn when competition did not go as planned. Though I ran fast, I was completely self emerged, and unaware of how my actions affected my relationships. People tend to idealize the picturesque athlete, and though there are many positives, to be truly successful, you must also be very selfish, for all of your time goes into the sport. I lived in this bubble, undisturbed for a long time, but like all things, it couldn't last forever. I eventually got very sick and was more or less unable to compete, leaving me devastated. Though this sickness was crushing at the time, it proved to be extremely important in my development as an individual. My bubble was shattered, but I was finally able to gain a well rounded scope of the world. Though I enjoyed running, it didn't fulfil me, and I was left searching for true satisfaction. The start of this search for satisfaction came through the outdoors. I spent my childhood spending nearly all of my free time outside. Picking berries in open fields, exploring the lost oregon coast, running rivers all over the American west, and skiing as much as we could. Though the outdoors were always a cornerstone of my upbringing, a trip down the Grand Canyon in 2013 was a pivotal point in my development. My family got a permit to run the river, and thus the opportunity to spend 16 days in the midst of one of the most beautiful places on earth. For two and a half weeks I lived in the bottom of a 5,000 foot deep golden cliffs, with chocolate water and endless side canyons the size of small cracks. My family went with some of our closest friends, and lived in commune for two and a half weeks, it was truly a special journey. The beauty of the experience moved me, but did not change me. What changed me and my world view, was a realization that this incredible place was one feisty debate away from being gone forever. A dam was almost placed in the middle of the canyon, threatening to flood all of its beauty. It deeply saddened me to know that individuals often care much more about their personal gain than the improvement of the world as a whole. I took these thoughts to Santa Clara with me, as I wanted to go into a career protecting and conserving public lands. These areas of beauty were so breathtaking, I wanted everyone to have the opportunity to appreciate them. Though I still hold protection of public lands dear to my heart, professors prompted me to question what will affect the most people, not just one individual life -- thus engendering a personal conviction to explore other environmental actions that better improve people's lives. Protecting public lands is important, but relatively few people benefit from it. Climate Change and increased CO2 emissions, on the other hand, literally affect billions of people all over the world. I realized that I am in a position where I can consciously choose to make a career out of working to improve people's lives. Through this, I have finally found fulfillment. I have realized I want to work in a career that not only analyzes problems, but also works to find innovative solutions. This summer, I had the opportunity to work with a research team studying unharvested food on industrial sized farms. I enjoyed the work in the field, but searching for solutions was the most exciting part of the job. It’s easy to discover problems in this world, but far harder to come up with viable solution. In order to create lasting change, sustainable solutions need to be implemented in a way that benefits local communities. In the past few years, I have come to understand the big picture of what I want to accomplish; however, I am still chasing how to get there. I have the feeling I will be piecing together strategies to accomplish my goals for the rest of my life. Though my personal discernment is uncertain, as I am always looking for new and innovative ways of creating change, I believe this fellowship with the Miller Center will be a pivotal point in my life. The opportunity to learn from brilliant Ghanaian entrepreneurs is rare, so I hope to take full advantage of the opportunity and learn from innovative thinkers, working hard to solve problems at hand.
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