Daan Mulder

YEP period 2022 - 2023, batch 27

Young Expert at Progreso - Rwanda

YEP period 2021 - 2022, batch 23

Young Expert at Cordaid - Kenya

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YEP Role

Cordaid: I work together with the country teams to develop new agrifood programs for Cordaid in Eastern and Southern Africa. Cordaid’s programs support smallholder farmers and agricultural SMEs to grow their businesses. Developing new Cordaid programs requires an innovative and creative approach involving all food system actors. Amongst other tasks, my role entails regular fund scanning, leading internal and external bid teams, proposal writing, and keeping track of the regional pipeline.

Progreso: As Project Manager Africa at Progreso, I work together with the other project managers in Africa to develop and implement projects over the continent. Our projects support smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers' cooperatives to find better markets and access working capital, and support farmers to ensure coffee production in the future despite challenges such as climate change. The job entails a broad range of tasks, such as institutional fundraising, building relationships with potential partner cooperatives, creating networks of relevant actors for project implementation, and project management. In Rwanda, I am hosted by our long standing partner Abateraninkunga Ba Sholi. 

Skills

I am an energetic and enthusiastic person with a hands-on mindset. I enjoy working in teams and have a good sense of group dynamics. My educational background in both applied and academic science has provided me with a set of solution-oriented and analytical skills. I have expertise in the field of digitalization in agriculture, access to finance, public-private partnerships, and youth employment.

Background

• Nationality: Dutch
• Education:
  • MSc. Economic Geography, Radboud University Nijmegen, 2016-2018
  • BSc. Rural Innovation, Has University of Applied Science Den Bosch, 2010-2014

Experience before YEP

• ICCO Cooperation, business development, Sept. 2018 – April 2021
• Outside Inc., graduation internship, Feb. 2018 – Sept. 2018
• DoeNederland.nl, floor manager and planner, April 2015 – Dec. 2015
• CEPRO Yanesha Peru, marketing advisor, Oct. 2014 – Feb. 2015
• Hacienda Esperanza Ecuador, internship, Sept. 2012 – Dec. 2012