INTERNING AT SEED CHANGE

My role at Seed Change for the next 8 months will be Program and Communications Intern, and this could mean a whole range of things. Basically, I'll be responsible for managing all social media platforms (Insta, FB, Twitter etc.) so if you see a Seed Change post come up on your newsfeed that's probably me! Aside from that, I'll be assisting in writing grants, fundraising, communicating with donors and of course doing administrative work all interns typically do. There are also a few creative ideas I have up my sleeve that I'd love to bring to life. 

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There is always something happening at Seed Change. There are multiple things people are working on every day from taking care of the nursery, connecting with farmers and just the other day the Prime Minister stopped by for a visit! I'm excited to see how the next 8 months unfold. What I'm most eager to experience is watching the seedlings grow up and seeing how it changes farmers lives. 

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I am here in Kigoma on placement with the University of Toronto IDS co-op program. Part of the program's requirement is to conduct primary research in addition to placement work. I have not yet narrowed down my topic but it's coming along and I'm excited to do my first research project!

For those not familiar with Seed Change or Kigoma in general, we are a non-profit organization aiming to reduce poverty among farmers in Kigoma. How we do this? Most farmers in Kigoma rely on harvesting oil palm trees, however, the native species can take about 7 years fruit and doesn't produce enough fruit to sustain a farmer's livelihood. Seed Change has created a modified version of the oil palm tree which is still compatible with the natural environment here. This tree produces a lot more fruit in a short amount of time, thus farmers have more to sell, faster. To learn more about this organization I'm working for click below!