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MU EXTENSION WENDY FLATT SPENT A YEAR AND A
HALF IN IRAQ HELPING THE PEOPLE REBUILD THEIR COUNTRY.
(SOT) “It was hard to leave.” THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
EXTENSION LIVESTOCK SPECIALIST HAS BEEN BACK IN THE U-S FOR A COUPLE OF
MONTHS. FLATT NORMALLY HELPS LIVESTOCK
FARMERS IN MISSOURI BUT DOING THIS SAME KIND OF JOB IN IRAQ IS A LITTLE
MORE DANGEROUS. (NATS) “HOPEFULLY WE WON’T GET
BLOWN UP ON THE WAY HOME.” EQUIPPED WITH HER HELMET, BULLET
PROOF VEST AND A MILITARY ESCORT, FLATT TAUGHT THE IRAQI PEOPLE BETTER
WAYS TO RAISE LIVESTOCK AND INCREASE CROP PRODUCTION.
FLATT WAS PART OF THE PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAM IN NORTHEAST
IRAQ. SOT-------(;36) quick-----------------------
Wendy Flatt MU Extension Livestock Specialist
“It was my way of serving my country I guess, since I didn’t join the military.”
FLATT SAYS FARM TECHNOLOGY IN IRAQ IS DECADES BEHIND THE U-S.
CURRENTLY, MOST OF THE FOOD IS IMPORTED FROM NEIGHBORING
COUNTRIES. AND IT’S EXPIRED ONCE IT GETS
THERE. FLATT SAYS THE IRAQI PEOPLE WANT
TO BUY LOCALLY. THE US DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE HIRED FLATT TO TRAIN FARMERS HOW TO PRODUCE DAIRY
PRODUCTS USING MICRO DAIRY PROCESSORS AND INSTALL HOOP HOUSE
HEATERS TO EXTEND THE VEGETABLE GROWING SEASON.
BUT AN OPEN MARKET SYSTEM IS NEW TO IRAQI FARMERS.
FLATT SAYS THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND MARKETING OR
COMPETITION. THESE SMALL FARMING OPERATIONS
COULD HELP THEM LEARN AND GROW THEIR BUSINESS.
(SOT) “I saw this as an opportunity to help with
the stabilization effort that was undergoing there
in Iraq and I definitely did my part to do that.”
EXTENSION SPECIALISTS LIKE FLATT ARE RECRUITED NOT JUST FOR THEIR
KNOWLEDGE BUT THEIR ABILITY TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK TOGETHER
A DIFFICULT TASK BECAUSE SOME GROUPS IN IRAQ DON’T LIKE EACH OTHER.
SOT-----(1:43)------------------------- Michael Ouart
MU Extension Director “I think we’ve learned over time that
in order to keep peace after the peace is won
you’ve got to develop their country, you’ve got to
show them that there’s something that they can
do that will build their own country so they can
take care of themselves.” PROGRESS IS SLOW BUT THERE IS
HOPE. FLATT TRAINED IRAQI WOMEN
VETERINARIANS ON HOW TO RUN THEIR OWN BUSINESS AND IMPROVE LIVESTOCK
BREEDING PRACTICES. (SOT) “If there’s one group that’s going
to change the Middle East it’s going to be the women”
FLATT ADMITS AT FIRST IT WAS DIFFICULT CONVINCING MANY OF THE
IRAQIS TO WORK OR LEARN FROM A WOMAN.
BUT OVERTIME, FLATT GAINED THEIR TRUST AND RESPECT.
(SOT) “All the people that I worked with, the
Iraqi’s, I’ll never forget them, resilient and
determined to hopefully get their country turned
around in the right way.” (SOT) “Wendy’s had a chance to plant that
seed in her own way, in her own subject matter
area that will hopefully grow.”
IN COLUMBIA, (2:25) KENT FADDIS REPORTING.
ROCKETS HIT AROUND THE U-S BASE WHERE SHE WAS STAYING AND THE
INJURED.