Every summer, students at the Clinton School of Public Service depart the classroom to apply their skills in the field during their International Public Service Project, turning their knowledge into tangible community resources.
For Coleen Ndedi Ntepe, this transition meant traveling to Kigali, Rwanda, to spend the summer as a researcher partnering with the nonprofit Bridge2Rwanda (B2R) on a long-term research project being evaluated by the Clinton School Impact Center. The B2R Farms program works to expand the adoption of conservation agriculture and train young professionals.
Ndedi Ntepe developed a comprehensive evaluation plan for an agricultural initiative designed to stabilize the lives of small-till farmers through conservation techniques. Her work aimed to provide B2R with the tools necessary to measure how modern farming techniques like reducing tilling and optimizing irrigation will impact the lives of local Rwandan farmers.
B2R’s project addresses the environmental threat of soil erosion and alleviates the intensive labor required by traditional farming methods. By training farmers in conservation agriculture, B2R hopes to help farmers greatly expand their crop production while significantly reducing the time spent in the fields.
“We are looking at how implementing this training helps farmers in many ways,” Ndedi Ntepe said. “When you decrease the time spent working on the farm and increase what they produce, it frees up family members to pursue other jobs and bring in additional income. Then they can sell more, buy what they need, send their children to school, and save more money. It’s about helping farmers use the resources they already have to grow crops in a way that is less labor-intensive and more sustainable.”
Applying the Clinton School Toolkit
Drawing on her coursework in Program Evaluation and communication skills from the classroom, Ndedi Ntepe’s primary deliverable was a 40-page program evaluation. This included a detailed literature review, a logic model (a visual graphic of the program’s inputs, planned activities, and intended outcomes), and an indicator chart to track success.
“Everything from my program evaluation class was useful,” Ndedi Ntepe said. “By creating this evaluation, we wanted to provide a quantifiable result of why this new technique is working. I wasn’t just creating data; I was putting into words the impact of what they were doing on the ground.”
Ndedi Ntepe worked closely with Katie George, Research and Evaluation Manager, and Dr. Nichola Driver, Assistant Dean of Impact, throughout the summer. Her research involved extensive travel across the country to observe interactions between B2R staff and farmers, ensuring the evaluation tools were grounded in the local context.
Living Like a Local
The IPSP also gave Ndedi Ntepe the unique opportunity to immerse herself in the daily life of a new country. Despite the daunting nature of navigating a new culture, she joined a local church and gym, practicing Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda, daily.
“I really ingrained myself in the life and tried to live like a local,” she said. “I learned a lot about adaptability and resilience. I learned to pivot and be assertive, which helped me have a more positive experience.”
While her time in Rwanda was marked by hard work, Ndedi Ntepe also found time to build lasting connections, visiting the scenic lakes in the north of the country and exploring the markets of Kigali with new friends.
A Career Rooted in Food Security
Ndedi Ntepe came to the Clinton School with a passion for addressing food insecurity. Her summer in Rwanda, combined with her current Capstone work with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, has solidified her desire to pursue a career in agriculture and sociology.
“While I have a lot of experience in food security research, I wasn’t as familiar with agriculture research before this, but I learned that I really enjoy the topic,” Ndedi Ntepe said. “It has impacted what I want to do with my life post-graduation. My experience in Rwanda helped me realize that this is a career avenue I want to pursue.”
Ndedi Ntepe is currently applying to Ph.D. programs in sociology and continues to work on food security issues in rural Arkansas. Another Clinton School student will resume her research plan this summer, ensuring that the seeds she planted in Kigali will continue to grow.