Consultant at Fabretto Children's Foundation
Washington D.C. Metro Area
31
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Rafael I Merchan’s Summary
Starting in May, I'll be consulting for Fabretto Children's Foundation, an International NGO that offers hope and opportunity for low income Nicaraguan children, enabling them to get the education they need to become responsible, productive adults. Fabretto serve over 5,000 boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 22, providing a continuum of care and assistance through their entire schooling experience.
In early 2008 completed a volunteer service at the International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC) in Lomé, Togo. In this capacity, I assisted on a project involving the use of legumes as cover crops at 16 pilot sites. Also, I have conducted international field work in Nicaragua. In the fall of 2006 I prepared a cost-benefit analysis on the use of school gardens as part of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food security program in Nicaragua.
In 2007, I was research fellow at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), I gained administrative skills in priority-setting, multi-tasking, and time management while improving my research and communication skills. As an intern at the Outreach Office of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), I became familiar with the federal government’s agricultural programs and gained experience reviewing grant proposals for its programs.
My field experiences in developing countries along with my exposure to multilateral banks, international organizations, and the non-profit sector have fostered my understanding of rural development issues both on an intimate, firsthand basis and on an institutional level
