ARDYIS flight 20-13 bound for UWI Cave Hill Barbados, pilot CTA, co-pilot CAFAN.
Passenger list: cross cultural young people from the Caribbean region.
As I prepared for the day to travel to Barbados for the ARDYIS web 2.0 training and exchange workshop the expectation was very high. The thought of UWI Cave Hill Campus to be my home for the next 5 days was overwhelming, but the thought of liat was not. though the flight had some delays as usual I arrived safe in Barbados. There is a saying the first impression is the lasting one so the greeting from the taxi man was that lasting one and then to meet two of my fellow participant with warm smiles the conversations began as we journeyed to UWI
http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/.
Day 1 as I woke that early morning to hear some of the voices that am familiar with I felt a sense of joy some of my fellow CAFAN family that I had know before an to greet others that I had just meet foe the first time. As we sat at breakfast and looked across the room I saw the faces of young people eager to take hold of what this training has to offer. As I got to the computer lab the warm feeling of that room blew me away it is so comfortable just the right atmosphere for what we had to do and to add with that the introduction of our facilitators was another thing in itself because I knew from that moment we had the best to work with. As the day took off I braced myself to receive a wealth of knowledge that will help me in my business and to see young people take agriculture forward.
Day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5 was all excited and interesting for me to see that young people, some of whom just meet for the first time can blend so tightly together. Every deliberation and presentation was right on the ball as the facilitators did their thing. The interaction between the facilitators and participant was great I felt like I was in a class room all over again and with the best of teachers. We got the opportunity to visit a unique farm which took me be surprise because when I hear the word farm I was looking for an open field filled with vegetables of some sort but instead it was a little old woman who had the business venture well of the ground. Rooted in her orchid production she did not fear to think big as she sets up her large green house system for her plants not forgetting her little distillery plant where she bottles her own locally made sea moss WOW!
we also got the chance to visit the tissue culture lab of the ministry of agriculture Barbados to see their day to day operation. As I was clothed with the foot covering and head cap to enter the lab I felt like a doctor abut to operate on someone but in the agriculture field that's really what that area was about doctoring of plants.
The use of social media to receive information, disseminate information, build relationships and enhance businesses is quite intriguing and now that I am equipped I will take full advantage of using the various tools to do just that.
The day came when all hard work has to be rewarded as we gathered to the room where we await the presentation of our certificates. I was honored to have completed this training and exchange workshop and I know that my fellow participants felt the same, thanks to ARDYIS + CTA + CAFAN + social media for bringing us one step further to become great young agriculturist.
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If I am to do this all over again the same way, I would say 'no' to Agriculture. Working this way is too hard and painful .Technology has proven that farming can be done in a more efficient way. Now, I use my weed eater. It is very fast ,powerful and gets the job done in less time. It is very effective. When I gather the grass, It is used to make compost which goes back to the land, (double whammy). I also have a rear tine tiller that I use to till the soil. Thank God for technology. I am on my way doing my thing. Just note ,"Agriculture can be simple and safe, GO FOR IT!"
