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I lost my dad at a young age. With that, came the uncertainty of life. I wasn’t sure I could go to school or complete my education. I was taken to live in an orphanage—Redeemer Children’s Home in Moyo District, in the West Nile region of Uganda. From the orphanage, I attended primary and lower secondary school until I won a scholarship to study … Read More After a successful harvest, I plan to start a demonstration farm

My name is Brian Amanya, a first-year student pursuing a bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree at Gulu University. The programme is fully funded by the MasterCard Foundation under the Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development (TAGDev). Every day, I live by the vision of the TAGDev programme, which is to produce a cohort of African scholars who … Read More I started a blog to share business tips

Over the years, agriculture as a sector has improved the lives of many people who engage in it. This is what largely motivated me to venture into it. But I also wanted to undertake it on a commercial scale that benefits me and the community. Because most of the farmers in my community are engaged in growing maize, rice and beans, I also decided … Read More My farm is now a demonstration centre for the community

My name is Joseline Orishaba, and I come from Keitampene village, Kajara county in Ntumgamo district. I’m pursuing a bachelor of science degree in Information and communication Technology at Gulu University. Being a student supported by the MasterCard Foundation under RUFORUM, I chose to look at the good side of the lockdown, and it has turned out to be a great opportunity for me … Read More I looked at the good side of the lockdown, now I’m reaping from it

My name is Emmanuel Okwir, a Cohort III student at Gulu University. Being a beneficiary of the MasterCard Foundation/RUFORUM scholarship helped restore my hope for an education. It has taken me places, and I have benefited from various mentorship opportunities during the programme.     I come from a family headed by a single mother, and life has not always been easy for us. So, … Read More Selling handmade crafts helped me earn extra income during lockdown

Before l got a scholarship from RUFORUM, life was a constant struggle for me and my family. My parents were engaged in agriculture, but it did not bring in enough income to support the household. Out of a family of 11 siblings, I was the first to go to university. On the other hand, while my brothers attended a government aided school, my sister … Read More I have spent the lockdown running a piggery

My name is Evaline Acan and I hail from a small district called Oyam in northern Uganda. During my early childhood, Lived in Kampala Uganda’s capital city with my father. However, at the age of 12, my father lost his job and as a result, I was sent to Oyam. While in Oyam, I joined Survivors’ Infant primary school until I completed my primary … Read More After the struggle, there is a crown. A story of a RUFORUM Intern

The idea of starting a smart garden began in March this year, when we returned home after the university was closed. Other lower institutions of learning had also been closed. So, my siblings were all home. That meant there were more people to feed all at once, and that would put a huge strain on my parents. That’s when I decided to venture into … Read More Here is how my smart gardening is working

My name is Gloria Nampija. I’m a second-year student at Gulu University, pursuing a degree in Biosystems Engineering. I am also a beneficiary of the MasterCard Foundation scholarship programme under RUFORUM. When institutions of learning were shut down in March because of COVID-19, I decided to return to my ancestral home in the Eastern Uganda District of Kaberamaido where I started venturing into agriculture … Read More COVID-19 lockdown kick-started my passion in pineapple farming

My name is Iyaloo Sheyavali. I hail from Oheti region in northern Namibia. I am currently a final year student pursuing a master of science degree in Food Security and Community Nutrition at Gulu University in Uganda. My programme is funded under the Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development project (TAGDev), and supported by the MasterCard Foundation. Iyaloo Sheyavali … Read More What being a TAGDev scholar has taught me

Background The development of the agriculture sector remains a key pillar and pathway of the economic and social development of many nations. It also holds the promises of improving food and nutritional security across the world. Universities and research institutions, have a prominent role to play in achieving these aspirations, through production of research output, knowledge, and innovations that meet the needs and challenges … Read More Call for papers for a special issue in the African Journal of Rural Development

Kampala 14 October 2020 In line with the decision of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) Board and the Annual General meeting decisions of 2019 that established a sub-committee of Principals and Deans, and following guidance of the RUFORUM Board Executive Committee meeting of 23 June 2020, RUFORUM is pleased to announce the constitution of the Principals and Deans Sub-Committee. … Read More [Press release] RUFORUM announces the first sub-committee of Principals and Deans of the 129 Network member Universities

Kampala 14th October 2020 The 16th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) will be virtually hosted by RUFORUM Secretariat in Partnership with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, in Morocco (UM6P). The various activities of the AGM will be held starting October through to November 2020. It will be the first AGM to be hosted in North … Read More [Press release]RUFORUM announces the 16th Annual General Meeting hosted in Partnership with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco

Kampala 7th October 2020 The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MoST&I) of the Government of the Republic of Uganda has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) in Kampala. The objective of the Memorandum of Understanding is to enhance the deployment of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for poverty reduction, rural livelihood … Read More [Press release]The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MoSTI) of the Government of the Republic of Uganda signs an MOU with RUFORUM

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), acting as administrator of grant funds provided by the Republic of Korea under the KOAFEC Trust Fund, has received financing from the African Development Bank toward the cost of the Sharing Innovations and Experiences from Korea for Higher Education Transformation in Africa (SIKET). RUFORUM intends to use part of the agreed amount for this … Read More Request for Expressions of Interest for Shortlisting of Individual Consultants

Kampala 06 October, 2020 The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), is pleased to announce the beneficiaries of the fourth cohort of the Mastercard@RUFORUM (MCF@RUFORUM) scholarship recipients for the 2020-2021 academic year. Since July 2016, RUFORUM, in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, Gulu University and Egerton University are implementing an eight year programme;  Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s … Read More [Press release] RUFORUM announces Mastercard@RUFORUM scholarship recipients for 2020-2021 academic year

Dr. Bharati K. Patel since she was a child strived to break boundaries. At that time, she was the first “colored” woman to attend primary and high school, which was privlidged for white males in Rhodesia.Then from there being the first Rotary Fellow from West Africa and the first Rotary-sponsored student at Hawaii University in the late 60s, obtaining a Double Masters plus PhD, … Read More Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Bharati. K. Patel, who started FORUM which transformed into RUFORUM in 2004

Way back in 2017 when all hope was gone, when it felt like it was the end of my academic life, I received what I call the call of redemption and new hope. It was at that time that I believed I still had a chance to make it in life and since then, my life has never been the same again.I take this … Read More From a mud and wattle house to a permanent home. The Mastercard Scholarship has changed my life and that of my family

There are three main directions influencing how tasks are accomplished, these are technological trends, social trends and techno-social trends. These three trends are constituting confrontations from environmental to demographic and digitization. In order to breakthrough now and in times to come, young and aspiring entrepreneur need to strengthen their existing interpersonal attributes and grow new ones. Becoming an entrepreneur and a job creator has … Read More “Keep them in school”. I am supporting two children in their primary education

Low farmer-to-agricultural-extension-agent ratio, inadequate flow of information, weak linkages among value chain actors and other challenges have contributed to low productivity in the agricultural sector. The pineapple value chain like other commodity value chains in Ghana is faced with challenges, with smallholders being the most vulnerable.   Zikiru Shaibu is using modern technology to develop a farmer information system for smallholder farmers.  He is … Read More Information System for Improved Pineapple Livelihoods for Smallholder Farmers in Central Region, Ghana