About 2Seeds80% of Tanzanians depend on subsistence farming, yet 50% of Tanzanians cannot produce enough to eat. Simultaneously, 54% of college graduates under the age of 25 are not using their skills – they are either unemployed or underemployed.The 2Seeds Network, recognizing abundant human capital around the globe, is building a network of community-based agricultural development projects in East Africa. 2Seeds recruits and trains young people to live in rural Tanzania for one year and develop projects in partnership with subsistence farmers. 2Seeds' mission is Human Capital Development: we help our Tanzanian partners achieve their productive potential to grow more food and generate more income from what they produce, and help young people fulfill their potential as values-driven leaders.We don’t believe that bureaucracy can ever compensate for strong, independent decision making on the ground. We don’t believe that development work is only for those who intend to make a career in the non-profit sector. We don’t believe that work experience is more important than character, drive, and a sense of adventure. We don’t believe that development work is a one-way street in which we only give and the impoverished receive. We don’t believe poverty is inevitable.What we do believe is that human talent is universal. It’s as prevalent in the United States, or Brazil, or other countries as it is in the smallest village in Tanzania. We believe that a person like you—at the beginning of your career, eager for true leadership experience and deeply concerned with leaving your mark on a cause that is noble and good—has the potential to develop and lead a project in Tanzania this year.2Seeds separates itself from other international NGO’s in a few key ways:
2Seeds Network Website- Project Coordinators are one-year volunteers. The experience is designed to provide accelerated leadership development, and volunteers continue on their professional journeys with new skills and resolve to take on the world.
- Our Values: we are governed first and foremost by our commitment to humility, self-awareness, partnership, resource stewardship, compassion, and results. These values bind together all the members of our network
- Project Coordinators live in the communities they serve.Our Project Coordinators share in the lives of their partners, building the trust and respect necessary to catalyze change.
- The dual focus on volunteer and community leadership development means we are busting the power dynamics prevalent in traditional “service.” We are not “helping poor people” – we are promoting a model in which everyone involved ischanged and improved.
- We strive to work ourselves out of a job. From their beginnings, our projects are designed to be owned and led by our local partners. Each year, projects are building towards self-sustainability and transition to local leadership.
- Demonstrated leadership capacity.
- A resilient drive to succeed.
- Humility necessary to be a mature and thoughtful leader.
- Passion for the work.
- Generosity of spirit / willingness to engage / openness to culture.
- An orientation towards perseverance, creativity, and generating results.
- Dec 15, 2013 Priority application deadline
- Feb 20 – Mar 14, 2014 Interview Round
- Mar 1, 2014 Final Application Deadline
- Mar 16, 2014 Advanced Candidates Invited to Nominated Candidates Weekend
- Apr11-13, 2014 Nominated Candidates Weekend
- Apr 20, 2014 Final Offers Extended to Candidates
- Apr 27, 2014 Acceptances Due from Candidates
- May 1, 2014 Launch of Pre-Departure Training Curriculum
- Aug 1, 2014 Departure
- Aug 3 – Aug 17, 2014 Orientation (TZ)