Country: Kenya
Position: Farm Management Advisor
International Partner: MERU Dairy
Placement Date: June 2018
Maggie is a PhD student at the University of Guelph in the Population Medicine Department. Maggie's research focuses on using therapeutic levels of the amino acid tryptophan to decrease behaviour issues in growing pigs. Maggie was raised on her family's dairy farm in Eastern Ontario and has loved all things dairy cows from a very early age.
Maggie has just returned from a placement in Meru, Kenya, where she worked as a Farm Management Advisor. During her placement, Maggie visited several small-scale dairy farmers and their farms and helped conduct seminars on increasing milk production, improving cow and calf nutrition and improving cow and calf welfare. During her placement, Maggie was able to explore different national parks and see many of the incredible animals and scenes that Kenya has to offer!
#VETSVolunteerVoices aims to bring you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. This blog was written by Guy Audet, a Business Development Advisor who supported our VETS program partner, WIPVaC-Apex, in Ghana from March to May 2025.
In Meru County, Kenya, Community One Health Champion Ann Kagwira is improving her farm’s productivity and herd health through ongoing collaboration with VETS volunteers and Meru Dairy — demonstrating how long-term support and continuous learning can drive lasting change for farmers and their communities.
As VWB’s Executive Director, Charmaine Brett, prepares to step down in September, she reflects on four years of transformative global work, celebrating milestones in animal care, community resilience, and One Health initiatives. With its bold 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, VWB remains committed to advancing its mission and recruiting new leadership to build on this momentum.
