5th Class, 2009-2011
Field Placement: Mercy Corps, Jakarta, Indonesia
In her field year, Gabriela Prudencio supported Mercy Corps’ economic development projects in Indonesia. She conducted a value chain assessment on the nutmeg sector in the Maluku islands, which was then used for project design. She worked with the Program for Urban Sanitation and Hygiene to develop a long term value chain scale-up strategy. Gabriela also supported the Value Initiative Project – a tofu and tempe value chain project also in its uptake stage, and as learning facilitator, collecting and disseminating the learning of the project on the themes of social networks, vulnerable populations and working conditions. Her other duties included proposal and report writing, and working with the team on Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E).
Policy Placement: Mercy Corps, Washington, DC
In her policy placement, Gabriela Prudencio provided technical support to various Mercy Corps Food Security programs, ranging from direct food aid to projects with a longer-term focus. She worked in the development of M&E materials, collaborated in a team to set up the logistics for an emergency food assistance program in Guatemala, and helped with proposal development and report writing.
Pre-Fellowship Education/Experience:
Gabriela Prudencio was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where she gained an innate appreciation for the importance of food security, access to education, and health care. In her professional career, she strives to gain first-hand understanding of what works best to improve the livelihoods of low-income communities. In the field of micro-enterprise development, Gabriela worked with dairy, olive oil, cattle, pineapple, horticulture and cotton producers in Jordan, Rwanda, and Zambia, where she helped design and implement Business Development Services and Value Chain Projects. She also pioneered a Participatory Research Analysis on gender relations and economic livelihoods among women of five different ethnic groups in Zambia. Gabriela holds an MA in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University and a BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.