What does it really take to build a community structure that lasts? In this edition of "Lessons from the Field", our Programme Assistant, Oreoluwa Fatuyi, gets candid about what happens when ownership, connection, and shared purpose are missing from community structures, and what true sustainability can look like on the ground. This is a must-read for everyone working at the grassroots. 👇 🔗 Scan the QR code or visit partnersnigeria.org to read the full post. #PartnersWestAfricaNigeria #LessonsFromTheField #CommunityDevelopment #GrassrootsImpact #CivicEngagement #RuleOfLaw #NGO #WomenEmpowerment #SustainableDevelopment #Nigeria

TWO TRACTOR OPERATORS DIED WITHIN TWO YEARS... THE THIRD ONE RAN AWAY There are some experiences in agriculture that never leave your memory. After one cropping season, management gave all staff a break for the festive period. Everyone went home happy, expecting to resume work in the new year. When work resumed, our most experienced tractor operator, Awwal, was nowhere to be found. His phone was not going through. I called my boss and asked after him. He assured me he would find a way to reach him. A few days later, my boss called me. "Ezekiel... Awwal is gone." I was speechless. According to his wife, he had complained of severe stomach pains before passing away days later. The entire farm was thrown into mourning. We contributed money among ourselves, and the head office in Abuja also supported the family for his burial. Life had to continue. A replacement operator was employed, and because the farm had acquired another tractor, two operators were brought in. A few months later, one of them, Ilayi, started complaining of serious stomach pains. At first, I thought it was ulcer. But the pain became worse. I gave him some days off to seek treatment. Two days later, I visited his house only to be told he had been rushed to the General Hospital. When I got there, he was writhing in pain. The doctors carried out tests and scans but couldn't immediately identify the cause. Two days later... Ilayi died. At that moment, I became deeply worried. Two tractor operators. Two deaths. Similar complaints. The same stomach pains. Something didn't feel right. We buried him. The farm owner gave him a befitting burial, placed his three children on scholarship, and supported his wife with money to start a business. To this day, those children are still benefiting from that scholarship. A new operator, Galoma, was later employed. One day, he called me aside. "Manager, some people are not happy this farm is growing." I looked at him in surprise. "Why?" He said some villagers feared that as the farm expanded, they might eventually lose access to land or influence in the area. Whether that fear was justified or not, I honestly don't know. But it made me realize something important: People can misunderstand your intentions, no matter how good they are. As the season progressed, Yahaya—the other operator employed alongside the late Ilayi—suddenly became seriously ill. This time, it wasn't stomach pain. It started with persistent hiccups and health complications. His family quickly took him away for treatment. Thankfully, he recovered. But immediately after recovering, he resigned and never returned to the farm. That was the day I learned one of the biggest lessons of my agricultural career. Before establishing a large-scale farm in any community: (1) Carry the people along. (2) Build trust with the villagers. (3) Engage community leaders. (4( Create opportunities for locals. (5) Maintain good relationships with your host community. (5) Never assume everyone understands your intentions. A farm can have money. A farm can have tractors. A farm can have investors. But without community acceptance, peace of mind can become your most expensive input. Agriculture is not only about crops and livestock. It is also about people. And sometimes, managing relationships is harder than managing a 1,000-hectare farm. May the souls of Awwal and Ilayi continue to rest in peace. Nigerian agriculture space is too toxic Attached picture is me and Yahaya the operator that survived their attack... ~ © Umaru Ezekiel #Agriculture #FarmLife #Agribusiness #RuralDevelopment #FarmingStories #AgroConsultant #CommunityRelations #FarmManagement #NigerianAgriculture #AgricultureInAfrica #FarmLessons #AgriculturalLeadership #AgbetechAgroConsult #LifeOnTheFarm #LessonsFromTheField

From Footwork to Faith: Lessons from the Field I’m grateful for every sport I played growing up, soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and track. Each one taught me something that helped me in the next. The footwork from soccer, the hand-eye coordination from baseball, it all mattered. Funny enough, football was actually my least favorite as a kid. But the older I got, the more it became the outlet I needed. I learned how to channel off-the-field pain into on-the-field performance. That’s when I stopped being the kid just happy to wear the uniform and became the guy willing to sacrifice whatever it took to take on that linebacker so my QB or RB could get into the end zone. One of the most powerful lessons I learned playing fullback was the importance of visualization. Every play had a beginning, middle, and end, and before the ball was snapped, I saw it in my mind. That same mindset now helps me in life: visualize what you want, then give it everything you’ve got. These photos show the beginning and end of a fullback trap from a game against Southern Mississippi on my birthday. Their defense was tough, but I had already envisioned getting into the end zone. A defender had me near the one yard line, but with one free hand still on the ground, I stretched the ball across the goal line for the only offensive touchdown of the game. I forgot how to do that in life for a while. I went from visualizing and acting to just going along. But when God revealed my purpose, I got back to being intentional. Now, I practice visualizing and going after what I believe in. I won’t ever perfect it, but I’m committed to it. Because what works in big games absolutely works in everyday life. #Gratitude #LessonsFromTheField #HuskerFootball #VisualizeToRealize #FullbackTrap #GameDayMentality #FaithInAction #PurposeDriven #NebraskaFootball #LifeLessons

Thinking of posting online as a construction pro? Don’t polish out the mess. The best advice I got? “People relate to real.” Not perfect drawings. Not textbook leadership. Real lessons from real sites. That time your concrete pour went wrong, columns came out bananas out of the box? Tell us about that. That’s what we want to hear. That day you flipped in a meeting when the contractor broke yet another promise? Share it. People don’t need more theory. They need stories from the mud and grime. When I stopped posting about how to only— And shared the struggles of the jobs we are all on— ✅ More trust. ✅ More reach. ✅ More real talk. Stop trying to be flawless, you are in construction. Start being true. 👉 That’s how you lead. So here is a picture of me doing a final safety brief before a vessel lift. #FixTheBuild #ConstructionLeadership #ProjectManagement #LessonsFromTheField #AuthenticLeadership #BuildBetter

#MondayRead: Our #HerDigitalFuture journey in partnership with @UCC_Official and @MoICT_Ug is our way through to #DigitalInclusion Literacy Is Not a Barrier—Relevance Is Key We learned that even women with little formal education become confident tech users—if the training is relevant to their daily lives. Business-focused content like Social media apps, emails, WhatsApp sales, and loan apps had the highest impact. #LessonsFromTheField #EmpowerHer #WomenInTech @NITAUganda1

As the #UrbanSHADE project goes on, we'll be bringing you updates and personal reflections from our Researchers. Today, we highlight the experience of one of our RAs, Almenatu. Read more: bit.ly/4k5y5LR #FieldResearch #WomenInResearch #IGCHR #LessonsFromTheField

Tara Hanuscak, leaned into her excitement for March madness at the #340BCoalitionWinter Conference as she shared #lessonsfromthefield this morning, speaking on how aligning #340B and #pharmacyrevenuecycle drives greater impact and organizational success.

Don’t miss our next #LessonsFromTheField webinar TOMORROW 1/15 at 3 p.m. ET to hear parents & educators share strategies to strengthen family-school partnerships. Let’s learn to create welcoming environments where every child thrives: ow.ly/GQeA50UENcQ

How can schools honor students' religious, secular, and spiritual identities while fostering inclusion? Join us TOMORROW at 3 p.m. ET for our #LessonsFromTheField webinar to hear real stories and strategies for creating inclusive learning environments: ow.ly/O5Ez50UmS5j

🚨 Happening TOMORROW at 3 p.m. ET! Don't miss our #LessonsFromTheField webinar on tackling #bullying & harassment in schools. Hear expert insights and strategies to create safer, more supportive environments for all students: ow.ly/GLW650TV6pp #BullyingPrevention

💡 According to @CDCgov, 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied on school property last year. Join our #LessonsFromTheField webinar TOMORROW at 3 p.m. ET to learn how schools can empower bystanders and address #bullying behavior: ow.ly/jn9w50TV6jV

Did you know suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth aged 10-24? On Wednesday, September 18th at 3 PM ET, join our #LessonsFromTheField webinar to learn the latest trends, risk factors, & strategies for #SuicidePrevention in schools: safesupportivelearning.ed.go… #NSPM

⚠️ Did you know suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth aged 10-24? Join our #LessonsFromTheField webinar on WEDNESDAY at 3 p.m. ET to learn the latest trends, risk factors and strategies for #SuicidePrevention in schools: ow.ly/Wnu350Tok7Y #MentalHealthMatters

Join @SSLearn's 9/18 #LessonsFromTheField webinar to learn about school-based suicide prevention strategies & how to identify related risk & protective factors. This webinar will also share the latest info on suicide trends among #K12 students. Register: go.dhs.gov/U4A

Join us TOMORROW at 3 p.m. ET for a special #LessonsFromTheField all-student panel on the powerful impact of engaging youth in #DrugUse prevention activities! Learn how K-12 students are leading these efforts to make a real difference in their schools: ow.ly/UjcH50SVuFL

.@SSLearn's next #LessonsFromTheField Webinar on July 10 will highlight how School Justice Partnerships can help develop & implement strategies to address low-level, minor misbehavior so students stay in the classroom. Learn more & register: go.dhs.gov/3WE

Join our #LessonsFromTheField webinar TOMORROW at 3 p.m. ET to hear from 5 young adult #SchoolViolence survivors and advocates. 🗣️✨ Learn from their personal experiences and gain insightful ideas on preventing and addressing school violence: ow.ly/4wrF50SoRjV

Reflecting on our recent experiences with #Sorghum, we must admit that we were a bit '𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗲𝘆𝘀 like the #Somalis we are'—in our planning. Driven by enthusiasm and the hope of quick success, we began planting before ensuring our water infrastructure was fully operational. Now, we are facing uneven growth in our Sorghum plants due to insufficient water. 🌾💧 #LessonsFromTheField #SorghumJourney #LearningFromMistakes #AgriculturalLessons

This #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, dive into insightful discussions from the #LessonsFromTheField webinar series. In this archived webinar, discover principles for creating safe, inclusive school climates and learn how schools can implement them: ow.ly/zjf050RWi2K #MHAM

Dr Asha Deshmukh, who visited Pallium India, writes in ehospice India about her home visit experience with Dr Raj @mrraj47 and the lessons learnt. ehospice.com/india_posts/les… Photo by Pratibha G @myepica #compassionatecommunity #palliativecare #homecare #lessonsfromthefield