ISU students and faculty are looking forward to new experiences by aiding the rural communities of developing countries.

The team and faculty involved in the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods program are going through a careful process of looking at countries in Latin America and Africa, said Lorna Michael Butler, Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture and professor of sociology and anthropology.

Several faculty members are leaving for Uruguay and Kenya next week to meet with potential partners in the program, Butler said. Faculty at Makerere University in Uganda are helping the management team set up discussions with community members and local non-profit organizations that might be interested in partnering with Iowa State.

The management team chosen for the program has been involved in international work and has a strong interest in the various activities being implemented, Butler said.

The program will help provide sustainable livelihood to the people in rural communities, Butler said.

“We define a sustainable livelihood as one that effectively addresses needs for food and income, copes with and recovers from shocks and stresses, and maintains and enhances capabilities and assets while not undermining the natural resource base,” said Robert Mazur, interim director of Sustainable Rural Livelihoods.

The program is designed to help the countries in need and offer unique experiences for students and faculty involved, Butler said.

“The ISU community is expected to benefit through opportunities for faculty and graduate students to collaborate in cutting-edge research and service-learning projects for advanced undergraduate students,” Mazur said.

The program will take a broad approach on aiding and counseling communities, Butler said. Among other things, the program will address hunger and poverty levels.

They will focus on the production of food, improved nutrition, health and the development of small businesses, Butler said. The team may be partnering with health agencies within the communities to achieve these goals.

A large part of making the program happen has been good timing, Butler said. A gift from donors, who wish to remain anonymous, enabled the team to establish a start-up fund for the program, Butler said. Over time, the faculty hopes to generate grant funds and proposals to support particular interests in the countries selected.

“The donors want us to look at some of the neediest countries,” Butler said.

Butler said faculty interest helps determine which countries are chosen for the program.

She said India and areas in northern Thailand are being considered for aid. The partner country is expected to be chosen by December.