Page 29 - 80 YEARS OF VOLUNTEER IMPACT WITH FAO

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Eda Pütgül

FROM POLICY TO PLATE:

ADVANCING FAO’S MISSION OF ZERO HUNGER

For Eda Pütgül, joining FAO’s Subregional Office for Central Asia in
Ankara as a UN Volunteer marked both a beginning and a big step
forward. It was her first full-time job, and one that helped her learn
about food systems, development and the power of small actions.

Eda volunteered for over a year as Programme Assistant, working on
two key projects supported by the Turkish government. One focused on
improving support for farmers and the other on farmer infrastructure 25
under the Global Soil Partnership. “I feel like I’m doing something
meaningful for both my country and for FAO,” she shared during her
assignment in 2018.

Although her background wasn’t in agriculture or food systems, the
experience gave Eda the chance to learn directly from farmers, project
teams and FAO experts. Her role took her into the field, where she
participated in training programmes and spoke directly with farming
communities. These conversations became the most formative part of Eda Pütgül, UN Volunteer Programme Assistant, joined FAO’s Subregional
her experience, helping her connect big policy goals, like #ZeroHunger, Office for Central Asia in Ankara. [FAO, 2018]
to the real, daily lives of rural producers. “It was a highly demanding but
very satisfying job,” she shared. “I learned new skills and how to support
a project from start to finish.” It also showed her how volunteering
doesn’t just build a résumé—it reshapes your worldview.

“Things that seem very small can in fact change the

whole world if applied by enough people in their daily
lives. There is a guide called “Lazy Person’s Guide to

Saving the World” prepared by the UN. There you can
find lots of small ideas for big impact.”