Alumni testimonial

How alumna Flor started working at SNV

Flor de María Prado Rivera: Agriculture Value Chains & Food System Advisor at SNV

From Diverse Farming Systems to Diverse Diets: A Path to Improving Children’s Diets in Rural Ethiopia

“This study gave me a chance to work with different colleagues with a diverse range of backgrounds and that gave me the opportunity to learn from them. Learning new things and getting to know new people and cultures always gives me excitement!”

Prior to the MDR-programme, Flor had already worked for several years on rural development projects. During her MSc programme in Wageningen, she enjoyed the practical courses that provided her with tools to apply in her future work. Currently, she works as an Agriculture Value Chain & Food Systems Advisor at SNV.

SNV (Netherlands Development Organisation), is an international NGO established more than 50 years ago. The organisation has projects in
24 countries in Asia and Africa. Its mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all. As an advisor, Flor’s role is to support processes in different ways and for a variety of projects.

“This year I was part of two projects. The first one has special focus on the generation of knowledge around two main topics: resilience, and service and inputs for farmers. For instance, I did research to come up with practical ways to address and include resilience in our projects. We wrote documents and organised learning sessions around this topic. The second project focuses on food systems transformation in two countries. For that I travelled to Rwanda to be able to support this study closely.”

Flor enjoyed her participation in the Rwanda food system study very much. “I like to be in contact with the reality I’m exploring or trying to understand, and this study gave me the possibility of being in Kigali for six weeks. I also had the chance to work with different colleagues with a diverse range of backgrounds and that gave me the opportunity to learn from them. Learning new things and getting to know new people and cultures always gives me excitement!”

“My advise would be to ask and be curious. Use the university network and the teachers’ expertise, contacts, and knowledge.”

The MDR programme provided Flor with a social sciences perspective. Having finished a bachelor’s in Management at a Business School, her understanding of social sciences was mostly practical, due to her work experiences. During courses in Wageningen she developed new theoretical perspectives, as she explains: “These helped me to understand the reality around rural livelihoods, such as the misconceptions regarding technological progress, the migration from rural communities to urban areas, and the trade-offs that farmers deal with."

“Ask and be curious”, that’s Flor’s advice for students orienting on the job market. “Use the university network and the teachers’ expertise, contacts, and knowledge. The university doesn’t just offer courses. There are many other things to explore but unfortunately this is not that visible, so you need to be proactive.” She also encourages to reach out to people who work in organisations that you would like to be part of. “From my personal experience, most of them are happy to have a brief call. I’m happy to talk about what I’m passionate about.”