December 21, 2021

Building a Dream Team!

Almost two years after the last 2SCALE team meeting in Bolgatanga, Ghana, the team met once again early this month (December 2021) in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast. After several postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 100 people from the 10 program countries, and the Netherlands had a great time together while respecting all the recommended covid-19 safety protocols. Building a dream team was the watchword of the activity-filled week.

Building a dream team, getting to bond and rejuvenating the team as well as strategizing on the next two years of the program were the agendas After almost two years without physical interactions, the team seized the moment to take stock of our work and the road already traveled, while looking to the future to meet the immense challenge of revolutionizing inclusive agribusiness in Africa.

As part of the kick-off of the week-long activities, the immediate former Program Director of 2SCALE, Henk Van Duijn, after 3 years at the head of the program, definitively passed the baton to Marina Diboma, the new Program Director. Even if this was done virtually a few months ago, it was a great opportunity to realize this symbolic act for the future life of the program.

An elated Marina implored the team:

For us to fulfill the lofty goals that we have of revolutionizing African agriculture, it takes collective effort. Each and everyone here has a pivotal role to play in the transformation and I am counting on you. It seems a challenging goal, but in my mind, I have no doubt we can transform African agriculture.

The first two days of the team week were dedicated to the review of the 2021 achievements and challenges, and the key priorities for 2022 among which included detailed discussions on 2SCALE’s main thematic areas in an interactive manner.

The week was also marked by several other activities. The team toured the Syndicated Locagri rice partnership in Agboville to assess local impact of the program. It was an unforgettable moment for the team thanks to the performance of the traditional dancers who welcomed the visitors with the sound of drums and other local instruments.

After the hearty reception, a field visit to the paddy fields of Locagri as well as the processing factory culminated in a lively interactive session with farmers and other partnership actors.

To celebrate African heritage, we also held a Wakanda-themed recreational evening dinner as well as a visit to the royal palace of Grand-Bassam to learn about the history of this city which would have been the gateway to colonialism on the African coast.

The two last days were more focused on team building to strengthen the rapport within the 2SCALE staff. The sand, the sun and the fresh air of the beach of Grand Bassam contributed to refresh the memory of the team, forgetting for some time the active pressures of work.

After a successful week of team building, strategizing and developing the relationships needed to build a dream team, the 2SCALE team is now energized for the coming year.

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