John Collie (past volunteer) – Farm Management Adviser, Arusha in Tanzania

Before he left New Zealand John worked as an agricultural consultant. He began his assignment in November 2009, accompanied by his wife Sunja. This was his second assignment with VSA; he was a volunteer in South Korea in the early 1970s.

What John did in Tanzania

John worked with farm contractors and teachers at the Leguruki/Kingori Education Centre to help the school become self-sufficient in food. The school grows beans, sunflowers (for oil) and maize, and has been  considering setting up a small dairy operation. John was allocated four acres to experiment with different plant spacing and fertiliser regimes.

Making a positive difference

John enjoyed working with a management team that was genuinely committed to changing the way the school’s farming operation is done. His wife Sunja, while not on VSA assignment, was teaching cooking, knitting and crocheting to young local women. She even taught them Maasai bead making, after she learned how to do it from women at the Maasai market in Arusha.

John’s highlights

“It was good to feel that we were helping to teach people about the advantages of using fertiliser, and the importance of having the correct plant population to maximise production. Hopefully we’ve given them the confidence to try new ideas.”

What Tanzania has taught John

“Throwing money at a problem is often not the answer. You get the feeling here that too much aid has been in the form of cash handouts which have either been used for purposes other than what was intended, or to purchase capital items that are not essential or cannot be maintained without further cash injections.”