Luncheon - July 2013 - Dave Betts '06

Dave Betts '06 talks about the One Acre Fund and its very effective program for farmers in Africa

   It’s a long ways from Spokane to Kenya where the past three years have found Dave working with One Acre Fund. OAF is an innovative NGO (non-government organization) that operates like a business as it provides life changing services to poor rural farmers (http://www.oneacrefund.org/our-approach/program-model/). Though still a relatively young NGO, OAF has received a number of awards including a recent #18 ranking on the Global Journal's list of Top 100 NGOs. 

Dave noted that 75% of the world's poor are farmers, and Kenyan farmers live on $1-2 per day.  The One Acre Fund does not provide financial assistance to the farmers.  Rather they provide fertilizer, see, planting techniques, training, etc.  In a province in West Kenya a 5 person ex-pat staff works with a field team of 250 to coach/train/guide the farmers to increased productivity and more profitable marketing of their production.  

Dave has already accumulated a lot of experience.  His first year after graduation he spent working with a start-up in the sports sector --  Your Sports.  Dave's father was one of the co-founders of the Spokane Hoopfest, so sports is a part of his DNA.

From there he put his degree to work as a field engineer on rigs in the Montana/Wyoming/North Dakota in the oil/gas fields. His specialty was being a measurements engineer for the lateral drilling.  

Dave Betts '06 and fellow classmates at the July luncheon

Dave took his project management skills and joined Construction for Change.  This is a non-profit that builds schools and other buildings in Africa.  Construction for Change was previously the beneficiary of the undergraduate's Major Project, and some of its founders include Mike McEvoy '05 and Jamie Stoner '05  (Stoner previously presented to our graduate luncheon group.)