Sylvester Kalonge

Bio

Sylvester brings almost 30 years of experience managing and implementing livelihoods programs that seek to uplift the lives of vulnerable people. He has managed several livelihoods programs that embrace market access for smallholder farmers, Climate Smart Agriculture practices to increase agricultural productivity, improved technologies, and safety net programs that move from social protection initiatives to productivity enhancement by applying disaster risk reduction strategies—a strong fit with iDE’s approach and principles. He is passionately committed to finding business solutions to poverty.

Sylvester has experience working in Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Lesotho. Before joining iDE in August 2018, Sylvester worked for the United Nations World Food Programme as a Market Support Consultant (P4P)/Program Manager for the Farm to Market Alliance for three years. Prior to that he was the Chief of Party for the agricultural Production, Finance and Improved Technology Plus (PROFIT+) project in Zambia implemented by ACDI/VOCA. He has also held positions with CARE, USAID, and World Vision. In his free time Sylvester enjoys travel, reading, playing squash, and music.