CARP+ Students Profiles

RUFORUM Community Action Research Programme

RUFORUM in partnership with mastercard foundation is implementing a programme known as “Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development (TAGDev)”. The TAGDev Programme seeks to transform African agricultural universities and their graduates to better respond to developmental challenges through enhanced application of science, technology, business and innovation for rural agricultural transformation. Under TAGDev, there is a specific focus on community action research designed to allow African universities develop and capitalise more comprehensive and sustainable participatory action research and establish platforms for engagement with all the stakeholders including the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.  The Programme is known as the Community Action Research Programme PLUS (CARP+). Each community action research project involve training graduates (PhD. and MSc.) and undergraduates in particular countries or geographic areas,  a selected commodities, and nest its research along the full commodity value chain. Read more about our graduate students and what they are studying.

CARP+ Students Profiles

Eleanor Florence Mutsamba-Magwaza (Zimbabwean) is an agronomist with a passion in conservation agriculture (CA) and climate smart agriculture (CSA). Eleanor was born in Zimbabwe on the 26th of June 1983. She graduated from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) with a BSc Honors Degree in Agriculture (Soil Science) in 2006. In 2009, she pursed her MPhil in Agriculture until 2012 when she graduated. She has just enrolled for a PhD in Food Security on rainwater harvesting at the Bindura University of Science Education in April 2018. Eleanor worked as a research assistant based at UZ in projects funded by Rockefeller Foundation and CIRAD from 2006-2012. On the first of Dec 2012, Eleanor joined the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) till September 2017 as a research associate-agronomist. Her contribution to these projects led to improved livelihoods in Mozambique and Zimbabwe as farmers practiced CSA through use of drought tolerant varieties, diversifying crops and also pen fattening livestock using home grown fodder crops. From 2010-2017, Eleanor has been involved in several consultancy activities which included development of agricultural manuals, conducting training of trainers and end of project evaluation amongst others. She offered consultancy services to organizations such as CTDO, COMESA, African Conservation Tillage Network, COSV and European Union projects. Eleanor received a 3rd best Oral Presentation Award, during the, ‘RUFORUM Building Capacity for Improved Food and Livelihood Security in Africa conference held in September 2010 in Uganda. She has also published more than 6 papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings.

Zengeza Tapiwa (Zimbabwean) was born in 1993 in Seke, Chitungwiza and grew up in Buhera District at Nyashanu Mission, an area where production of drought resistant small grains and legumes is dominant. He was enrolled in Bachelor of Agricultural Science Honors Degree in Crop Science at Bindura University of Science Education and graduated with an upper second class (2.1) in 2015. Tapiwa was also enrolled in Post Graduate Diploma in Education at Zimbabwe Open University and graduated in 2017. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture at Bindura University of Science Education as a RUFORUM CARP+ project beneficiary. Tapiwa’s dream is to be a research director.

Rudo Florence Mapfeka (Zimbabwean) was born in 1982 and grew up in Marondera, Mashonaland East Province of Zimbabwe, where farmers practise commercial cash crop production and dairy farming. Rudo was enrolled in Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Management and Agriculture at Midlands State University, where she graduated with First Class Honors with specialization in Agronomy. She is currently, pursuing a Master of Science in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture at Bindura University of Science Education under the RUFORUM CARP+ project. Rudo aspires to be a plant breeder to help with introduction of cereals that are high yielding to contribute towards food security.
 

Farai Desire Marongwe (Zimabwean) was born in 1980, and grew up in Gokwe South District, Midlands Province of Zimbabwe, a region characterized by cotton growing and small scale livestock production as the main sources of income for the community. Farai D Marongwe was enrolled in Bachelor of Science Degree in Natural Resources Management and Agriculture at Midlands State University, and graduated with an Upper Second Class Honors with specialization in Livestock and Wildlife Management. He is currently a RUFORUM CARP+ project beneficiary, pursuing Master of Science in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture at Bindura University of Science Education (Zimbabwe). Farai has a dream to become a director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Zimbabwe and able to design agricultural policies that will turn the country back to the state of being the bread basket of the southern region

Kasule Faizo (Ugandan) was born in 1992, Kampala, the central region of Uganda. Faizo graduated in 2016 with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology at Makerere University. After completion, he spent time at CIAT-Uganda, under their breeding program to get a grip on common bean breeding and during that time he helped set up the canning phenotyping platform and was able to use this platform to evaluate the canning properties of a panel of PABRA released varieties and elite germplasm. He also interfaced with CIAT molecular breeding targeting disease resistance at the National Agricultural Research Laboratory. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Plant Breeding and Seed Systems at Makerere University (Uganda) under the CARP + 11- Cassava Project at RUFORUM. Faizo intends to solve the challenging research questions in the field of crop improvement, breeding and biotechnology that Uganda and the rest of Africa so much demand

Anthony Livoi (Kenyan) is a holder of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and biotechnology from Masinde Muliro University of science and Technology. He is a graduate student in the University of Nairobi undertaking Master of Science in Plant Pathology. He is working on the cassava project Numbered CASSAVA PROJECT –RU/2018/CARP+/04. Anthony’s area of concentration in the project is on a bacterial disease called cassava bacterial blight caused by the pathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis.  He is working on its distribution in the coastal Kenya and how it can be detected in planting materials. The project location is in Kilifi and Taita Taveta counties which are found in the coastal region. The project is aimed at increasing cassava productivity in the region. My contribution is to ensure that the disease infections are reduced through availability of healthy quality planting materials obtained from a cassava business hub which shall include rapid molecular detection methods for the pathogen in the propagated planting materials. A detection protocol will developed and adopted in the certification system of the Tissue culture cassava planting materials. He has work experience of two years working with a private consultant company in Kenya called Compliance Kenya Ltd. The company offers services in conformity assessment to standards in food safety, agriculture, trade and industry. He has great passion in plant science since he believes through plant science we can be able to solve challenges facing humanity in food and nutrition insecurity, food safety and poor value addition strategies. Plant science is life and contributes greatly to wellbeing of humanity on earth

Kidasi Patrick Clay (Kenyan) is working on the cassava project in coastal Kenya. He recently completed his degree programme in BSc Horticulture. During his undergraduate (15th September- 15th December, 2016), he was attached at Syngenta Pollen limited, Ruiru, Kenya. I acquired hands-on experience on multiplication of basic and hybrid seeds, lawn and garden cutting and breeding of new cultivars. He was also attached for internship at Efficacy Trials Unit at the University of Nairobi as a research assistant. Patirck was involved in assessment of new pesticides and fungicides products for their efficacies on insect pests/diseases in the management of field and greenhouse crop pests and diseases. He was also a volunteer tutor at Sponsor An African Scholar (SAAS), Kenya, in which he was tasked with teaching form 1-4 on Mathematics and Physics. He continuously participate in outreach programs on tree planting and mentoring primary pupils at Taita Taveta County. My motivation of tree planting and mentoring pupils is the concern to take care of the mother- nature and encouraging the coming generation to work hard in their academics to fulfill their dreams. My passion for researching in agricultural field is to   provide a sustainable solutions and recommendations for increased food and nutrition security to the ever increasing population.  Patrick do believe that dynamic challenges in agriculture can be solved by the young generation through hard work, dedication, team work/partnership and passion to alleviate poverty and end hunger in our country and continent at large

Tirra Amos (Kenyan) is a holder of a degree in BSc. Agribusiness Economics and Food Industry Management (KU). During my undergraduate program. He attended two industrial attachments; the first one at Mumias Sugar Limited Company in 2013 and the second one at Horticultural Crop Directorate in 2015. In addition, after he graduated in 2016, He attended an internship program at Bidco Africa Limited company agribusiness department. All these helped to learn the gap in Agriculture and this motivated me to embark on graduate studies at UoN. Currently he is studying MSc. Agricultural and Applied Economics at The University of Nairobi (UoN). Amos is working on my research project proposal titled Economic Analysis of Cassava Value Chain in Taita-Tavata and Kilifi Counties, Kenya; which is under the cassava project – RU/2018/CAP+/04. The specific objectives that he intend to pursue revolve around cassava utilization, cassava commercialization and elucidation of the cassava markets at the Kenyan Coast. Cassava is the way to go in Kenya since the new policy by Kenya Government requires all maize and wheat millers to blend their respective flours with cassava flours. He likes working with people who learn from others and learn together with others. Did you realize that most people ignorantly use the words “Institution and Organization” interchangeably but they don’t mean the same thing? Institutions help in coordinating and facilitating working organizations. Out of books and work he plays or watches football and others things follow

Pages

Website Statistics

  • Total Visitors: 511523
  • Unique Visitors: 78335

The launch of TAGDev Project

CARP+ and RECAP Gallery

Our Contacts

The MasterCardfdn@RUFORUM 
Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture(RUFORUM)
Plot 151/155 Garden Hill,

Makerere University Main Campus,
P.O Box 16811 Wandegeya
Kampala,Uganda
+256-417-713-300
Email:
a.egeru@ruforum.org / mcf@ruforum.org

.