I joined IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) as intern in 2012 and then I moved as consultant to the Policy and Technical Advisory Division. I am responsible for coordination and financial management of the Support to Farmers'   Organizations in Africa Programme (SFOAP) and Farmers Fighting Poverty- Food Security   Initiatives of Farmers' Organizations in a Regional Perspective (FFP/Africa) within the IFAD coordination team. The SFOAP main phase and FFP/AFRICA are the two components of Farmers' Africa, a wider capacity-building programme supporting African Farmers' Organizations (FOs). The programme aims to further strengthen and consolidate the institutional capacity of FOs and give them a greater voice in agricultural policies and programmes. IFAD supervises and cofinances the SFOAP main phase.

The programme currently supports 68 national farmers'organizations (NFOs)  in  49 countries, their five regional networks: 1) Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF);   2) Plateforme Sous-Reqionale des Organisations Paysannes d'Afrique Centrale  (PROPAC); 3) Reseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA); 4) Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU); 5) Union Maqhrebine des Agriculteurs (UMAGRI) as well as the Pan-African Farmers' Organization (PAFO). For additional details:  www.sfoap.net.

It is an experience strongly formative, I’m improving myself in terms of technical skills and personal enrichment thanks to the possibility to often travel for support and supervision missions, I can touch with my hands the development countries context, talk and collaborate with people ( farmers in particular) and provide my best contribution.
The most relevant resource is the interaction with people that makes me feel lucky and honoured. This make me feel part of something amazing, like a great team even if people are based in different countries with different cultural background.