Richard Reesor ” ” ” Farmer
Stouffville, Ont.
For the past seven years, Richard Reesor has been spending about a quarter of his time in East Africa as a volunteer with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), an organization which addresses basic human needs such as food, water, shelter, peace and justice in 65 countries (www.mcc.org).
Since 2007, Reesor has been focused on improving the long-term food security of the Maasai people living in Kenya. The Maasai were traditionally nomadic, moving with herds of cattle, sheep and goats in search of water and pasture. In times of drought, they would move far beyond their traditional grazing grounds.
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Today, however, they are hemmed in by national borders, wildlife reserves and urban development, so they can no longer reach their dry-season grazing. As a result, their ability to feed themselves has been weakened.
Working in partnership with the Maasai, the MCC project aims to increase food supply on their limited land base by engaging in crop cultivation, managing existing pastures more intensively through hay baling and managed grazing, and by improving livestock genetics so more food can be produced from pasture.
Reesor is fortunate to have a good partner who looks after the sweet corn and custom farming business while he is away. His wife and children are also supportive and have joined him on some of his trips to Africa.
Reesor s volunteer work with MCC feeds an ongoing interest in humanitarian work. Even during his university days, it was in the back of his mind that his education would be useful overseas. In fact, he advises those interested in this kind of work to prepare themselves by training in a useful discipline such as project management, agronomy or teaching English as a second language.
A good way to get a taste of what s involved is to go on a Canadian Foodgrains Bank study tour, advises Reesor. The two-to three-week trips focus on learning the challenges faced by farmers, says volunteer co-ordinator James Kornelsen. Participants stay in the homes of local people. The cost is about $5,000 to $6,000 but support is available, says Kornelsen. For more information, check www.foodgrainsbank.ca/food_study_tours or call (204) 944-1993.
