3rd African Food Fellowship Program graduates shares their findings

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A group of 23 Rwandan professionals have graduated at the 3rd African Food Fellowship Program, where for the last 10 months they have been working on innovative, hands-on solutions to address existing gaps in Rwanda’s agriculture and food systems.

The group which graduated this August 2, 2024 focused its solutions around existing and emerging food system challenges,  particularly in the areas of Food Tech and Trade, access to Nutritious Foods, and Sustainable Land Use.

A group of the 3rd African Food Fellowship Program graduates

Some of the projects showcased address real problems faced such as food wastage and post-harvest losses, promoting accessibility of climate-change resilient indigenous-nutrient dense seeds to small holder farmers.

Others were on the establishment of a farmers school on zoonotic diseases to transform Rwanda’s food safety landscape by empowering farmers with knowledge and skills to prevent zoonotic diseases, among others.

Some of the trained professionals came along with their spouses

Upon graduation, one of the fellows, Jean Paul Ndagijimana, a nutrition advisor at catholic relief services intends to scale his already existing project which avails affordable and safe  poultry products to rural poor households.

Ndagijimana secured financing from a local company, JFILEWO, which invested in a hatchery and a poultry abattoir run by small scale farmers in Rutsiro
district.

This in the end helped them obtain a partnership with one acre fund, which has enabled them take affordable poultry products to the local market.

“My next step is to scale the project, the pilot in Rutsiro has already yielded results, some households can now access cheaper poultry products, I am now negotiating with other investors so it can be expanded” said Ndagijimana.

Esther Mukundane, the Executive Director of gardens for health, and board member of the African Food Fellowship, told graduating Fellows that their work is now even more critical.

“Your efforts in these areas will save lives and create healthier communities”
“Your Leadership will be very crucial in creating a balance between agricultural productivity and conservation,” she said.

“The integration of technology in our Food Systems has potential to revolutionalize how we  produce, distribute and consume food, embrace these technologies” Mukundane added.

The food Systems Leadership Programme is taught virtually by instructors from Wageningen University & Research and Wasafiri Consulting. The Fellows have also been learning from each other and from industry experts in their various specializations.

After graduation the fellows will continue their journey through the Rwanda Food Fellowship, a self-organizing impact network where Fellows can continue to connect with each other, learn from industry
experts, and collaborate for systemic action.

The fellowship organisers, Diane Uwimpaye said that the 3rd cohort will contribute to solutions needed in implementing the fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA-5) which is due to be released this year.

Diane Uwimpaye

Daniel Sabiiti