Page 31 - 80 YEARS OF VOLUNTEER IMPACT WITH FAO

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Gael Thiébault

SEEDS OF TRUST:

VOLUNTEERING CULTIVATES COMMUNITY IN THE ANDES

Teamwork doesn’t always start in a formal setting. Sometimes, it begins on a mountainside, between conversations, with someone
willing to listen and share. A UN Volunteer from Belgium, Gael Thiébault, knows it well. As an Agriculture Officer with FAO Ecuador,
he spent four years working closely with the citizens of Toacazo, in the central Andes, fostering collaboration and a strong sense of
community ownership.

Gael coordinated Fincas Integrales (Integrated Farms), a project focused on producing organic food for local consumption, improving
alpaca herding, managing water resources and marketing agricultural products through local networks. But his role extended well
beyond technical coordination. With patience and consistency, Gael built relationships with farmers and local actors, encouraging 27
everyone to participate throughout the process. As a result, the project became more than an initiative; it became a shared
commitment. People didn’t just take part; they believed in it.

His efforts also reached rural communities on the outskirts of Quito, Ecuador’s capital, where Gael supported small agroecological
producers in adopting sustainable techniques and reaching new markets. Always rooted in the principles of the solidarity economy, his
approach served the collective good, addressing both social and environmental challenges through cooperation.

Gael Thiébault (left) from Belgium was a UN Volunteer
Agriculture Officer with FAO in Ecuador. [UNV, 2011]