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

Daniel Micheal Okello

Daniel Micheal Okello hails from the rural district of Kole in Uganda. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Agriculture Degree from Gulu University. After his undergraduate training, Daniel immediately got employed with Centenary Rural Development Bank as an agricultural loans officer, a position he held for close to 1 year. He was responsible for managing a loan portfolio of about 3 billion Uganda shillings, with over 250 clients, most of whom were smallholder farmers. Daniel later joined Makerere University in 2014 for post graduate training under RUFORUM funded project titled “Strengthening University Outreach and Agri-Entrepreneurship Training for Community Transformation in Northern Uganda (SUAT)” where he persued Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics, which he completed in January 2018. The project was housed at Gulu University. As an MSc. Student, Daniel worked as a Graduate Assistant at Gulu University where he taught several courses as well as being involved in project activites. As soon as Okello completed the MSc., he was awarded a scholarship to persue a PhD in Agriculture and Applied Biosciences under Mastercard@RUFORUM funded Community Action Resrsearch Project (CARP+) titled “ Enhancing pig production and marketing for smallholder farmers in northern Uganda”. Daniel is working on the research titled “Institutional Economic Analysis of agricultural production and marketing: elucidating the roles informal rules and farmers behavior on pig farmers’ performance”, which he hopes to complete in 2020.

Mr. Henry Okwaro

Mr. Henry Okwaro is from Nakuru Sub County in Nakuru County, in Kenya. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Choudhry Charan Singh University in India and a Master of Science Degree (Plant Breeding) from Moi University. The Title of his thesis was “Development of Cassava varieties resistant to cassava mosaic disease using mutation and molecular techniques”. He has received additional training from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) laboratory at Seibersdorf in Austria on “Crop improvement and management through application of nuclear and biotechnology techniques”. Mr. Okwaro received additional training on “Use of Radio-Isotope and Mutation techniques” at Saraykoy Nuclear Research Training Center in Ankara, Turkey. He has worked on developing varieties with novel traits on various crops including Cassava and Bananas while working for Kenya Agricultural Research Organization (KALRO), based at the Food Crops Research Centre(FCRC) Njoro, He has been PI of several IAEA funded projects, notably, Grant number CRP KEN-14693. (N-17/REV.13), 2009: “Development of superior well adapted banana and Irish potato varieties using mutation and marker aided breeding for Kenya’s Agro ecologies” and CRP KEN-16950 2014: “Crop Improvement for high Yields and enhanced Adaptability to Climate Change”. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Plant Breeding at Egerton University. His Doctoral Research Project is funded by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). Okwaro’s research focuses on “Development and Molecular Characterisation of improved cassava (maniholt esculenta L.) varieties resistant to cassava brown streak disease (CBSVD) in Kenya. The study will generate information that will be used in Cassava breeding programmes to address the major constraint in Cassava production

Milcah Wambua

Milcah Wambua is from Kitui Central Sub-county, Kitui County in Kenya. She holds a Bachelor degree in Food Science and Technology and a Master’s degree in Food science from Egerton University. She has worked for various projects as a research assistant including the East Africa Agricultural Productivity Project (EAAPP) and Reload Project where she gained excellent skills in field data collection, laboratory protocols and data analysis. After graduating with her Master’s degree, Milcah was given the opportunity to work as a part-time tutorial fellow in the Department of Dairy and Food Science and Technology in Egerton University. Her Master’s thesis title was: “Effect of cassava varieties and maturity on the properties of cassava flour and acceptability of cassava-wheat bread through sensory evaluation”. The research showed that variety and maturity of cassava had significant effect on its utilization potential in baking bread. The work also identified suitable varieties for baking of bread. To further her studies and skills in food science, Milcah enrolled for a PhD in Food Science at Egerton University in 2017. With the findings from a her Masters research she has decided  to expand on the cassava research to include development of high value commercial cassava-based products, with the overall objective of  improving food security and incomes of small holder farmers through innovations in the cassava value chain in Kenya. This project is funded by Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)/Master Card Foundation CARP+ Project.

Kigambo Monica

Kigambo Monica is currently pursuing a Master’s of science in crop science majoring in crop protection at Makerere University -Uganda. A beneficiary of the RUFORUM mastercard foundation scholarship under the CARP+ project. Monica, graduated from Kyambogo University (Uganda) with a bachelor’s degree in science technology-biology in 2016. She also holds a Diploma in science technology – biology attained from Kyambogo University in 2012. Monica has worked with UGACOF limited, a coffee processor and exporting company in Uganda as a quality controller from November 2011 to July 2012, then later joined National Crops Resources Research institute (NaCRRI)-Namulonge, Uganda as a volunteer under the legumes programme from October 2016 to April 2018. Her background and exposure has built her interest in agriculture. She is passionate about building interest among farmers to embrace agriculture as a solution to food insecurity and low incomes thus transforming livelihoods

Napoleon Heri Bahati-Kajunju

Napoleon Heri Bahati-Kajunju is Congolese born in 1987 in Goma in the eastern part of Congo-Kinshasa, one of the country's food basket. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences from the prestigious Catholic University of Bukavu. He went on to attain another Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Agricultural Industries from the University of Goma (D.R.Congo).  Kajunju is one of the beneficiaries of the RUFORUM Master Card Foundation scholarship under the CARP + project and currently enrolled as a Master’s student in Food Science & Technology (2017-2019) at Makerere University, Kampala Uganda. With overwhelming experience in agriculture, education and public management, Kajunju is passionate about becoming a researcher with a bias towards entrepreneurship specializing in food processing and value addition as a means of creating employment opportunities for the youths

Ainebyona Roland Rwambuka

Ainebyona Roland Rwambuka (Ugandan) was born in 1982, and grew up in South Western Region of Uganda, a region where small-scale crop production, animal husbandry and agro processing are the main occupation sources of income for the community. Roland was enrolled in Bachelor of Vocational Studies in Agriculture with Education degree program at Kyambogo University. He further enrolled for Master of Agribusiness Management at Makerere University. He is currently a RUFORUM CARP+ project funding beneficiary, pursuing Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural and Rural Innovation (ARI) at Makerere University (Uganda). Roland has a dream to develop Innovation Systems in Agriculture through Research to reduce poverty and food insecurity

Nyarko Joseph

Nyarko Joseph was born in Ghana and grew up in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, where their   main occupation are fish and crop farming both for local consumption and exportation. Joseph was admitted in the University of Cape Coast to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree programme in Agriculture and completed with Second Class Upper Division Honors, with his research work in crop science. Joseph is currently pursuing his Master of Philosophy in Crop Science at University of Cape Coast (Ghana) and a RUFORUM MasterCard Foundation 2018 CARP+ project funding beneficiary.  His dream is to become a Lecturer and Researcher in the field of crop science in Ghana to ensure food security, reduce poverty and also to create more jobs for the youth in my region and the country as a whole

Zikiru Shaibu

Zikiru Shaibu is a Ghanaian by birth from the Eastern Region, a Region located at the South-East part of Ghana with a rich blend of dramatic landscapes, historic relics and traditional cultures. Zikiru was born in 1992 and completed both primary and secondary education in the Eastern Region of Ghana. He rolled in as an undergraduate in 2012 for the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Honoured with a Second Class Upper Division, Zikiru is currently specializing in Agricultural Extension Education at the Post-graduate level. Zikiru is an enthused young entrepreneurial and has a deep passion for using computer technologies in improving and promoting sustainable agriculture in Ghana. He believes in changing the farming age from the elderly to the younger ones. His current research interest focuses on Application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Agricultural Value chain agribusiness development. He is currently a RUFORUM MasterCard Foundation 2018 CARP+ project funding beneficiary. He is pursuing PhD Agricultural Extension programme at University of Cape Coast in Ghana. Zikiru has a passion of establishing an ICT based institution mainly for promoting the application and use of ICTs to improve sustainable agriculture in Ghana as well as attracting the youth participation in agriculture in the future

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