169 



earmarking some funds for private farmers and private agribusiness. Expand 

 training programs for private sector leaders. Invest in privatization. Put the 

 money where it will do the most good. 



WHAT IS WORKING 



Production has increased where private farmers have .taken over the land. The 

 difference between management by committee and ind48tBferT)wnership is 

 phenomenal. I believe that if the free market economic reforms continue in 

 Russia, farmer-owned cooperatives will play a major role in transforming 

 inefficient, state-controlled agricultural monopolies, to privately owned farms and 

 agribusinesses. Russian farmers are finding there is power in number. It is 

 becoming very evident that farmer-owned cooperatives will be increasingly 

 important in solving many of the problems they face today. Together they have 

 the power to buy in volume, sell in volume, provide transportation and storage, 

 create markets, establish processing facilities, and develop electrical supplies. 

 As the cooperative movement grows, it will create jobs for workers providing 

 services for the cooperatives. 



VOCA is doing a commendable job in providing GENUINE aid and assistance while 

 promoting both the cooperative movement and democratic principles. It is 

 successful because each full-time employee is a hand-picked professional, 

 dedicated to the democratic way of life and to helping their fellow men. Each 

 understands basic human needs and has a good working knowledge of business, 

 agriculture, education, and government. All have strong backgrounds in 

 international assistance and education and are well versed in the countries and 

 peoples they assist. 



VOCA has also been very successful in attracting volunteers that are expert in 

 specialty areas needed in the various countries. Again these are people with a 

 proven track record dedicated to building up the people and country they are 

 assigned. VOCA is successful because of the TOTAL DEDICATION of 

 EVERYONE involved in the organization. 



There are several other organizations that are doing a good job of providing 

 help to Russia and other Eastern European countries. They are the Cochran 

 Fellowship Foundation, ACDI's reverse Farmer to Farmer program. Communicating 

 for Agriculture, etc. 



It has been my pleasure to work with the Cochran Fellowship Foundation on 

 projects affecting groups from Latvia, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, 

 Romania, and Hungary. Following is one example. 



Through a joint effort with VOCA I was able to bring 7 people from Poland and 

 train them in the meat processing industry. These people were trained in the 

 state of Utah at Brigham Young University food science department, in Illinois 

 with various equipment manufactures and distributors, and in Wisconsin with 

 meat plants, to learn the hands-on part of the business. 



TG.017, 3/25/93 



