U.S. Volunteer receives Presidential award for his work in Moldova

U.S. Ambassador Heather M. Hodges presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Norval Dvorak of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for his work as a volunteer in Moldova under the Farmer-to-Farmer Program. The Program is funded by the United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Norval Dvorak, an 84-year old retired farmer and founder of numerous cooperatives in Wisconsin, is a well-known and respected specialist in Moldova, having helped organize and strengthen several cooperatives in Moldovan villages over the past three years. His latest assignment in the village of Dusmani in March 2005 focused on revitalizing a farm service cooperative to become a competitive and profitable business. Norval knew that Tersimeda cooperative members were struggling with marketing their output and suggested setting up a US-type calf-feeding lot. Not only would this lot provide a market for locally produced grain, it would also serve as a useful educational tool for farmers, changing their vision about business management and farming practices, enhancing quality and improving marketing techniques.

Back in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Dvorak and several colleagues created a project to purchase over 30 calves, reconstruct the village barn, build hutches, and develop a feeding program for the starting calves. Dvorak and this Manitowoc Group eventually raised over $10,000 and returned to Moldova, using their donations to purchase calves from local villagers and prepare feed for winter. Working together, the Farmer-to-Farmer Program and Norval have helped 71 people associated with the Tersimeda cooperative to increase their incomes in 2005.

Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA), the organization facilitating Dvorak’s assignments in Moldova, has sent over 700 volunteers to the Newly Independent States (NIS) of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, as well as five countries in Africa, since its incorporation in 1993. CNFA volunteers provide business and agricultural training to private farmers and farmer groups to ease transition to a market economy.

This Service Award was created by President George W. Bush in 2003 and honors those who have demonstrated outstanding volunteer service and civic participation over the course of a 12-month period.