Title: Kenya Agricultural Research Institute scientists are honored with African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Fellowships
Helping poor farmers in sub-Saharan Africa overcome food crises and improve livelihoods is a complex challenge. It requires bold, innovative action. An essential step is strengthening the voice of Africa’s knowledgeable women, both on the farm and in the laboratories. Acting on this conviction, in 2007 the CGIAR Gender & Diversity Program launched African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD). AWARD offers two-year fellowships to fast track the careers of African women delivering pro-poor research and development. The program is generously funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID. For more information about the AWARD program, visit http://fellowsupdate.wordpress.com/.
Three women from the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute at Njoro were nominated for the AWARD program. We heartily congratulate them!
RUTH WANYERA: "I am an Msc. holder in Plant Protection/Plant Pathology working at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Njoro. I have been in research for the last 28 years. I have been a Senior Research Officer for quite a number of years and just last month I was promoted to Principal Research Officer, a promotion that was awarded to me after going through a rigorous and competitive interview by the KARI Board of Management. I am also National Wheat Research Coordinator.
I am also involved in outreach (advisory services) and surveillance programmes covering wheat and other crops within the mandate regions of the center. While in the field I answer questions pertaining to crop protection on all crops. In this way, I am able to interact with farmers from all spheres of life. It is through these programmes that I got interested in the rural women farmers who do most of the work with hardly any financial support. These women need advice and support to improve upon their daily activities, so that they can sustain their families. I have also been involved in meetings related to women stakeholders in agriculture, and I participate in the planning and implementation of technology transfer activities. I have held meetings with women leaders in Women and Development trying to discuss issues, developing an agricultural strategy that would strengthen women's roles and community-based action for improved food security. My desire (under the AWARD program) is to fully incorporate women's participation including the girl-children in the development process, emphasizing the need to design and implement programmes that would provide productive resources to the rural woman. This is a process of change that brings benefit to all people, particularly to the poorest of the poor. My profession and output has enabled me to travel widely and interact with a lot of people.
I've also made scientific presentations in many forums (seminars, workshops, conferences) locally and internationally, as well as coordinated a number of research projects and published in conference proceedings and refereed journals. I've also co-authored several book chapters and been awarded a number of research funds and consultancies. I am a founding member of the Kenya Professional Association of Women in Agriculture And Environment (KEPAWAE) and was a Provincial Representative Rift Valley Province from 1996-2003. I am also a member of American Phytopathological Society (APS), and Board of Governors member Keriko Secondary School, Nakuru.
How will the AWARD program benefit my career: I have learned to be visible and confident through creation of increased networks, professional associations, publications in refereed journals, and acquire people skills by attending project management and proposal writing courses. The AWARD program has challenged me to build my career up to PhD level and this is what I plan to undertake. By building my career, I will contribute to food security in Kenya through improved wheat production management technologies.
What I have learned: The AWARD fellowship is for two years. During the first year, I have the opportunity to be mentored by a senior scientist, Dr. Florence Olubayo, University of NAIROBI. In the second year, I will have to take on a junior woman scientist to mentor. I am determined to mentor as many young women scientists as I can. Women in agricultural R&D need not fear anything, but the fear is there anyway and we must overcome it. I cherish my specialization and would like to be a role model to the young girl scientists. Indeed there is a lot of gender imbalance among wheat farmers as well as rust researchers in Africa. To engage and build women's capacity, we need to do a lot of coaching and mentoring, especially the young women scientists, and this will improve the livelihoods of many farmers in Africa."
ANNE GICHANGI: "I am Anne Gichangi, an Agricultural Economist working with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). I am currently writing my final MSc thesis on the structure, conduct and performance of sweetpotato marketing in Kenya. My research interest is marketing of agricultural produce.
I have greatly benefited from winning the AWARD fellowship. I have gained more confidence since I attended the conference in Mombasa and now I have a better strategy of how to plan my career. I want to help the poor and combat food insecurity in my country (Kenya). During the workshop I learned that, to progress in my career, people skills are just as important as scientific skills. I hope to share these skills with others.
Through this fellowship, I have the opportunity to keep myself updated with new developments in my field, network with CGIAR researchers, learn from the CGIAR's Gender & Diversity electronic newsletters and establish discussions with women researchers worldwide. The mentoring program offered by the fellowship is one that grooms and nurtures female scientists for leadership positions; hence many women will compete with men in leadership positions.
I am convinced that access to mentoring, leadership and science opportunities under the AWARD program will equip me with skills necessary to effectively engage the small scale farmers and make a positive contribution in their lives. Thanks for the AWARD fellowship, thanks to the originators of this brilliant idea."
ESTHER KIMANI: "I am a BSc holder of biochemistry currently undertaking my MSc studies at the Egerton University Kenya in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. MY MSc project covers the characterisation of the Lablab purpureus germplasm in Kenya using AFLP markers and analysis of the flavour compounds in the bean. Lablab purpureus is an orphan crop in our country, even though one of the world’s oldest varieties, “Rongai,” has been known to originate from Kenya. It has many good attributes, and especially as a drought tolerant crop and is used for forage and food, when prepared well, since it has anti-nutritional factors.
I work in the molecular laboratory of KARI-Njoro and am involved in carrying out all the marker assisted selection work at KARI Njoro. She has also been involved in the diagnostics of plant viruses in KARI. She is currently working on projects on bread making quality of wheat and other wheat traits using molecular markers, and also on improving the nutritional quality of wheat using mutation breeding to improve α-tocopherol, resistant starch and mineral levels. Molecular biology work is challenging since the technologies are fast changing in the world and being in a third world country, accessing these technologies is difficult and also very expensive. But I hope to utilize these technologies in carrying out my research.
Through the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) fellowship, I have the opportunity to be formally mentored by a senior scientist in biotechnology from ICRISAT for two years. I will also benefit from the international network through the Gender and Diversity global database of women scientists and professionals and also from the networks of my mentor. AWARD also provides support to attend a conference in the sub-region, and membership in a professional association. From the AWARD mentoring program, I hope to excel in my career and make a positive impact on agricultural systems in Kenya by use of molecular biology techniques. With the global rust nurseries at the KARI-Njoro field, I have been and hope to continue learning from the international wheat breeders and also take part in the use of new generation molecular biology techniques in identifying genes that confer stem rust resistance. The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative can serve in strengthening Africa’s knowledgeable women in the field and in the laboratories, to help improve the livelihoods of sub Saharan African farmers."
