Call for Volunteers: Haiti

Partners' Farmer-to-Farmer program is currently recruiting volunteers for several coffee-related assignments in Haiti. Please take a look at the list of volunteer opportunities below!

GPS & Mapping Specialist (November 2014 – February 2015: 2-3 weeks)
The volunteer will assist host organizations and farmers in surveying their coffee production areas and assign GPS coordinates to them. These coordinates will provide a means to assist producers in deciding where to plant new seedlings for maximum harvest. This information will also be used to help farmers separate higher altitude beans from lower altitude ones in order to increase their economic gain.

Coffee Soil Analyst (November 2014 – March 2015: 2 weeks)
The purpose of this assignment is 1) to help coffee cooperatives and farmers understand the relationships between soil and coffee quality, and the relationship between soil and the sustainability of coffee trees on the plantations and 2) to inform best practices of coffee production, working in partnership to evaluate current practices and suggest areas for improvement. The volunteer(s) will assist farmers in testing soil characteristics such as acidity, fertility, etc. and their implications for coffee quality. Volunteer(s) should have experience in soil research/management and knowledge of the relationship between soil characteristics and coffee production.

Coffee Harvesting Educator (November 2014 - March 2015: 2-3 weeks)

Benito Jasmin. F2F Haiti Coordinator, examining coffee seedlings

The volunteer(s) will work alongside an in-country team to train coffee producers on best harvesting processes and help them develop outreach/education tools to disseminate the information to other farmers throughout the country. The purpose of this assignment is to help farmers and local organizations understand why it is crucial to harvest coffee beans at a particular ripeness and how this is correlated to economic profit. This will also help coffee cooperatives in pricing the coffee they receive from producers and help producers improve harvesting practices.

Coffee Branding and Marketing Strategist (January – April 2015: 2-3 weeks)
The volunteer(s) will work with 2-3 coffee cooperatives to develop their strategic branding and marketing plans. The purpose of this assignment is to create new strategies to reach potential markets and buyers both within Haiti and also internationally. The volunteer should have experience in agribusiness development and/or strategic planning and will be expected to produce a draft of a formal branding and marketing plan with action steps and work plans for each cooperative before departing the country. 

In the other sectors, some upcoming assignments include small animal meat quality assurance, small animal marketing and training videos, queen bee rearing and performance, and hive product outreach and marketing.

Please contact Andi Thomas at athomas@partners.net for more information. As always, our in-country bilingual field staff coordinate logistics and F2F covers volunteer travel, housing, food, and other related costs. 

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