Feed aggregator

By Joseph Kawooya JK Agri-enterprise farm is a rural agro-based farm located in Kyotera District in Uganda. I started this farm with the aim of training smallholder farmers to improve their skills in modern agriculture and equip the youth with entrepreneurial and agricultural skills. I hoped that this would also help reduce unemployment in the community. I came up with this idea after attending … Read More JK Agri-enterprise farm is here to help farmers

By Kasolina Anyango When I returned home because of COVID-19, I interested myself in a number of enterprises. I started off with farming. I was able to buy three (3) acres of land which I used to grow groundnuts. Because the harvest has been good, this has motivated me further to invest in agriculture and also expand the venture. So, I have planted rice, … Read More With agri-business, I can now earn more money

By Sharon Amede I am a first-year student at Gulu University in Uganda pursuing a degree in education, with a major in English and Literature. I experienced a lot of challenges at the beginning but as time went by, I got more confident with the help of RUFORUM and the Mastercard scholarship. Returning home because of COVID-19 gave me the opportunity to implement and … Read More I have been running various enterprises at home

By Grace Acheng I come from a community where girl-child education is not supported and where illiteracy is generally high.    I am therefore grateful for the opportunity that the Mastercard Foundation and RUFORUM have granted me to pursue a degree at Gulu University in Uganda. From the first week of the orientation training that was held in Kenya, I told myself that I … Read More I have built a better house for my family

By Samuel Lochen Long before the lockdown, I was already running a business. I started the beer retail trading in December 2018. This is because of its profitable nature, but also because there was no one else running a similar enterprise in the area where I live. It started on a small scale—with only five crates. As it continued to thrive, I decided to … Read More My dream is to be the biggest beer distributor in my town

By Marveeen Nafula Five years after completing my undergraduate studies, I had no hope of advancing my education. That changed when I applied and received a scholarship from RUFORUM.  As a result, I have been able to return to school and pursue my dream career. Through the funding I get from the scholarship (savings from the monthly stipend), I decided to open a veterinary … Read More I opened a veterinary drug shop in the village

By Aliet Mmbone Ugada I still vividly remember that afternoon when all Mastercard scholars at Gulu University gathered to listen to the next course of action. The university had been closed as one of the measures by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Learning had come to a stop and students had to return to their respective homes. But as an international … Read More I started a YouTube channel to educate the public on nutrition

By Mahoussi Simone During lockdown, I have been undertaking a number of activities. I started a project to produce and market smoked fish in Benin. This project will ensure food security and the safety of the community. Currently, we are constructing the space which we shall use to smoke the fish. I have also been supporting my family to undertake agricultural activities within our … Read More I have set up a project to produce and market smoked fish

By Emmanuel Dusabimana Time flies. It is now three years since I left home in Rwanda to pursue my undergraduate studies at Gulu University in Uganda. During this period, I have tried to undertake a number of projects back home such as piggery and poultry farming, which did not succeed largely because of poor management skills of the people who were handling the projects. … Read More Back home in Rwanda, I have a tomato farm

By Rogers Othieno Maido Centre, is a groundnut trading business located in Kaliro, Eastern Uganda. It is an enterprise I started running during the lockdown. The business is aimed at purchasing groundnuts from smallholder farmers, before processing it into paste and powder. The products are then sold to retail shops and individual buyers at the shop. The business currently holds 500 kilogrammes of groundnuts, … Read More Lockdown opened my eyes to business opportunities

By David Ekepu, Technical Specialist-Sentinel Project, RUFORUM There have been declining funding levels for the agricultural sector and university education coupled with institutional reforms that are characterized by institutionalization of competitive grants. This implies that the survival of researchers and their respective institutions relies strongly on the ability to attract funding through formulation of winning proposals. However, writing winning proposals requires great experience and … Read More RUFORUM trains masters and doctoral students on grant proposal development through the Social and Environmental Trade-offs in African Agriculture (SENTINEL) Project

I started school when my mother had passed on and later my father passed on when I was in primary. Life was not easy. I had to put in extra effort to get an education which my siblings on the other hand did not get a chance to get. And despite no one offering career guidance, I remained focused and was able to go … Read More I bought a cow to supply milk to nearby hotels

I have been engaged in a number of entrepreneurial projects in the last few months. I started off with running a piggery project and later started goats rearing along side the piggery project. Currently, I have eight local goats and hope to increase the numbers after learning the proper livestock management practices. With no school to attend at the moment, my day-to-day work involves … Read More I use digital platforms to market my pigs and goats

When COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, schools were closed and we returned home. As we were home, I didn’t do much in the first month because I Knew that schools would be    re-opened within a few months. As time passed by, the number of COVID-19 cases increased, not only in Uganda but globally and there was no hope of going back to school within … Read More I started running a Mobile Money business

His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi on 1st July, 2021 will host a Pre- United Nations Food System Summit 2021 Dialogue for African Heads of State and Governments. H.E. Chakwera has rallied the African Heads of State as part of mobilizing continental level response to the UN Food Systems Summit called by the UN Secretary General, António Guterres. … Read More Government of Malawi to Host African Heads of State Summit on Food Systems

I had settled in relatively well with my career as a university lecturer and was prepared to offer my best to it. Anecdotal reactions from my students seemed to suggest that I was handling my teaching responsibilities sufficiently well. I became somewhat complacent and, for years, I felt that being a good teacher is all that would be required for progression in my teaching … Read More My PhD story

Kampala – 18 June 2021, News filtering through from Zambia on the passing on of H.E. Kenneth Kaunda, comes at a difficult time for the world and Africa in general. It is not such a pleasant time to receive sad news of a life worth celebrating than mourning. For Africa and Zambia and the higher education fraternity, H.E. Kaunda’s life is a symbol of … Read More [Press Release] Guardian Candle Burns Out: H.E. Kenneth Kaunda Laid a foundation for Higher Education in Zambia

Kampala – 17 June 2021, RUFORUM a network of 129 universities in 38 countries has been designated as a Champion to mobilize a diverse range of people in every region of the world to engage more deeply and develop into a broad and inclusive coalition for transformation of the world’s food systems through coordinated action before, during, and after the United Nations Food Systems … Read More [Press Release] Insights into Pathways for Strengthening Food Systems in Africa: Perspectives from selected Advocates for Africa’s Development

African universities are calling for increased investment in research and innovation for scientists to explore factors of agricultural production that could be utilised for enhancing sustainable food production and consumption on the continent. Universities want actors in Africa’s development, including governments, to raise funding for science to ensure resources such as land and water are used sustainably, and to ensure that appropriate technologies are … Read More Universities ask for funding injection in foodsystems research

By Francisca Muteti Ndinda My name is Francisca Muteti Ndinda, a second-year student at Gulu University. I’m pursuing a Master of Science in Agri Enterprises Development. Being a beneficiary of the scholarship under the MasterCard Foundation has not only transformed my life, it has also improved the lives of many around me. Before joining the programme, I used to struggle financially, to take care … Read More The Mastercard scholarship has left a positive impact in my life