Jodean Deprise Ongelibl REMENGESAU
MSc in Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development, University
College Cork, 2021-2022
My name is Jodean from the islands of Palau in Oceania. While I was born and raised there, I had spent my teenage years living in the United States and young adult years living in Taiwan, where I learned Mandarin Chinese as a third language. Although I have lived abroad, my home and purpose had always been Palau, and I aspired to gain enough experience and knowledge to contribute to nation building.
I would recommend the IFP to young or mid-level professionals seeking to build their skills and willing to sacrifice a year abroad to do so. My advice for prospective and incoming Fellows is to prioritise your mental wellbeing through healthy diet and physical exercise.
Before coming to Ireland, I had studied Agribusiness in Taiwan because my homeland could use more agricultural development in the private sector, as 85% of our food supply is imported. Following graduation, I supported the former Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism in the implementation of agricultural-related activities to the GEF6 project titled "Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into land and seascape governance, planning and management" and Slow Food International as their local consultant to the Km0 Food Initiative of another project to make Palau a Carbon Neutral Travel Destination. Prior to that, I had gained valuable experience working with the agribusiness and value chains team based in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN Headquarters in Rome under the Junior Professional Programme.
I chose to pursue the MSc programme in Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development at University College Cork because it offered courses on alternative business models that could be more suitable for sustainable island development. It also offered a work placement programme where I could gain valuable experience in working first-hand with sustainable businesses.
Reflecting back to the end of the course, I particularly gained valuable skills in project management and reporting writing, as well as valuable exposure and inspiration from alternative business models that create community wealth.
During my Fellowship, most of my strongest memories are from placement at the Quay Co-op and sharing accommodation with other Fellows, which taught me a lot about myself and that our shared journey away from home can unite us across seas and cultures to support one another especially around adjusting to daylight savings!
Since completing the Ireland Fellows Programme and returning home, I had worked as an Asian Development Bank local consultant supporting the Palau Visitor's Authority in setting up the nation's first food processing center and as a Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN national consultant supporting the Bureau of Agriculture in implementing food security and sustainable livelihood projects. Recently, I was hired as the new Director to the Bureau of Agriculture overseeing the work of 18 staff under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment.
Thanks to the Ireland Fellows Programme (IFP), I enhanced my skills in project and time management, report writing, and public speaking for effective communication. Looking ahead to the future and in this new role, I hope to be an effective and clear team leader and partner toward achieving sustainable island food security.
Moreover, I would recommend the IFP to young or mid-level professionals seeking to build their skills and willing to sacrifice a year abroad to do so. My advice for prospective and incoming Fellows is to prioritise your mental wellbeing through healthy diet and physical exercise. Ireland offers a plethora of tasty health foods and the university with free exercise programmes so take advantage as it pays forward in the long run!