My Beginning with the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs
During my time as an NMSHSA summer intern, my work placement will be with AFOP. The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs was founded in 1917 and has advocated for migrant farmworkers ever since. The organization has created an environment that provides education and job training to help build a stable income for migrant farmworkers across the country. AFOP seeks to improve living wages for farmworkers, protect their rights, and enhance federal programs that are available to them.
In 1997 they started the Children in the Fields Campaign (CIFC) which has been enacted to ensure farmworker children have the opportunity to succeed in life. In doing so, they educate the public with information that their children will benefit from. What I am most excited about this placement is that their mission aligns with the change I wanted to see for agriculture children and families. I am also excited to be working alongside Kendra Moesle, the Director of Workforce Development at AFOP. My placement will involve taking over a monthly newsletter in which I will talk about any topic of my choosing surrounding a farmworkers life. At the moment, some of the topics I am learning should be spoken more about are farmworkers and heat strokes, as well as how coming from an agriculture background can negatively affect your educational ability. I look forward to being able to share my story and that of others in my community. I find that having a voice and speaking up can be very powerful.
As an NMSHSA intern, my tasks involve improving and engaging with my speech. As an intern I was able to do a lot of networking that contributed to making connections and knowing one another’s mission within the farmworker community. We were also to follow a schedule for each day which was filled with back-to-back meetings and a set time for lunch. All these techniques that I have learned from the internship I can now apply to my work with AFOP. I will have to continue to have adequate time management and skill planning to create a productive day since I will be working virtually.