In the previous blog, our summer intern, Leticia Nketiah from the US, told us all about her aims for her work with the Lorna Young Foundation. And now it comes to saying goodbye – here at the LYF, we simply cannot believe where the time has gone!
We’re truly sorry to have to say farewell to Leticia. During a short amount of time, she has proven herself to be an outstanding member of the team, an enthusiastic worker and someone we can rely on to get her teeth into a range of jobs; an essential quality for anyone who works in the small to medium charity sector in the UK!
So, over to Leticia, for her take on her experience at the LYF – but not before we’ve wished her all the very best for her future!:
“As my time at The Lorna Young Foundation comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on all that I have learned from the Foundation. I can honestly say that the organisation’s pursuit to support smallholder farmers in Africa has now exposed me to the great world of fair trade.
In the past six weeks, I have helped summarize the Farmer’s Voice Radio academy projects and learned the specific challenges facing cooperative groups in multiple African countries. I have also strengthened my fundraising, data analytics, and research skills through grant work, analyzing baseline and end line data, and finding best fits for publications.
I have also had the pleasure of meeting an influential person in the ethical trading sector – and former board member of LYF – Albert Tucker. Mr. Tucker agreed to talk to me about his career journey, the biggest challenges in fair trade, and the success stories he has witnessed over the years. I learned a lot from Albert, especially about how trade and ethics affect us all— consumers and producers alike.
Working with LYF whilst doing my study abroad provided me the flexibility of experiencing British work culture, expanding my network while also exploring London. Everyone on the team was especially helpful in my transition, understood my objectives, and worked to accommodate my learning.
I hope to further my knowledge of fair trading in my personal life and encourage others to take part in ethical consumption. International organizations like the Lorna Young Foundation are far few and in between — and are not as explicit, or as easy to find — in the United States. As I journey back home, I will continue to share the missions of LYF back to the States and see what similarities exist.”