After more than a year of exciting and memorable stint with YPARD, today I am bidding farewell to the YPARD community to pursue other opportunities. As I move on, I’d like to take a moment to remember and cherish our times together.
After more than a year of exciting and memorable stint with YPARD, today I am bidding farewell to the YPARD community to pursue other opportunities. As I move on, I’d like to take a moment to remember and cherish our times together.
It´s been already 13 months since I started working with YPARD as web & communications officer in May 2014. I still remember when I was notified that I had been hired. I was so happy to finally work in the non-profit sector, which had been my main objective since a very long time, yet worried cause coming from the communications field: what did I know about agriculture?
I come from a town in northern Spain. I could be defined as a ‘city girl’ who knew little about rotation cultivation or the Green Revolution’s father before joining YPARD. I moved to Rome fully motivated for the new position and curious about the new field of knowledge that was now open in front of me.
During these months, I’ve had the chance not only to learn and develop my communications skills, but also have I got to know the importance of agriculture in addressing climate change and the important role the youth plays in building a sustainable future.
Through my daily work, including different online activities such as #Thanks2FF Twitter contest, YPARD Photo calendar contest - Soils through Youth´s Eyes or Youth-in-ag. Selfie Twitter contest – 2015 World Water Day I had the opportunity to promote and boost young professionals’ role in agriculture.
Also the preparation and releasing of YPARD Official Video in English, French, Spanish and Chinese has been a great opportunity to work together with many YPARDians who have contributed with their time, work and creativity to make this project a reality.
Besides handling YPARD daily communications activities, I could meet few of you during some special events like YPARD former Web4Knowledge intern, Madan Poudel, during the 2014 Technical Online Communicators (TOCs) workshop. I also feel lucky for having met YPARD Trinidad and Tobago representative, Keron Bascombe, Alpha Sennon and Luke Smith during the 2014 Thought For Food Challenge, co-organized by Christine Gould, YPARD latest Steering Committee´s member.
What I miss is not having met in person Gwladys Mabah and Marc Ghislain Bappa, our two Web4Knowledge interns during the past year (yet!). Working with you both remotely has been one of the best experiences I´ve lived during this time with YPARD. I hope that I had contributed to your professional growth in the ICT4D field, the same way you have supported through your work and enthusiasm to YPARD’s communications success.
Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank YPARD director, Courtney Paisley, and especially YPARD web & communications manager, Marina Cherbonnier for your support, guidance and encouragement, and for the opportunities provided to me during my time in YPARD.
I have enjoyed working for YPARD and I appreciate having had this wonderful opportunity to work with you all!
It’s been a pleasure interacting and knowing each one of you, and I hope the relationship with many of you will continue in the years to come even though I shall not be with YPARD. As written in the title, this is not a goodbye… only “hasta luego”.
Good luck and I wish you all and YPARD every success in all its future endeavors!
Picture credit: Paola Camargo