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As a young girl, I loved to see people wear beautiful shoes and clothes. Even though I didn’t have the money to buy them then, I dreamt of a time when I could. That dream is now a reality. Today I run a business that sells clothes and shoes. I mostly use social media to market the products I have and reach customers. From … Read More I started a business selling clothes and shoes

Kampala 30th, November 2020 The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a consortium of 129 Universities in 38 African Countries, is pleased to announce the recipients of the two year Graduate Research Grants  (GRGs) funded by the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA; https://globalresearchalliance.org/). The grants are aimed at building the capability of graduate and post-graduate level students in … Read More [Press Release] RUFORUM awards eight Graduate Research Grants

Lors de la réunion annuelle des Vice-Chanceliers / Présidents / Directeurs de Section / Recteurs des Universités Membres de RUFORUM (voir les liens sur le Dépliant de RUFORUM et l’Aperçu de RUFORUM) qui s’est tenue le 11 novembre 2020, les Vice-Chanceliers ont réaffirmé leur engagement envers le Programme d’Assistanat d’Enseignement Supérieur (GTA) qu’ils ont initié en 2014. Les objectifs du GTA sont les suivants: … Read More Opportunités de Formation de Troisième Cycle dans le cadre du Programme d’Assistanat d’Enseignement Supérieur de RUFORUM (GTA)

During the annual meeting of Vice Chancellors/Presidents/Principals/Rectors of RUFORUM Member Universities (see links about RUFORUM flier and RUFORUM at a Glance) held on 11th November 2020, the Vice Chancellors re-affirmed their commitment to the Graduate Teaching Assistantship Program that they initiated in 2014. The objectives of the GTA are to: i) Improve the quality of higher education and increase the pool of PhD-level trained … Read More Postgraduate Training Opportunities under the RUFORUM Graduate Teaching Assistantship Program (GTA)

Returning home after the university was closed to limit the spread of COVID-19 gave me an opportunity to engage in a number of activities. I took part in laying bricks, I planted sugarcane, maize, cassava, beans, soybeans and sweet potatoes. As a family, sugar cane growing has been a major activity we have engaged in for a long time. And during my stay at … Read More I started laying bricks during my stay at home

Kampala 23 November 2020 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), headquartered in Rome, on 24th October 2020, renewed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) for another three (3) years. FAO Deputy Director General, Elizabeth A. Bechdol, signed the partnership renewal letter on behalf of FAO, while RUFORUM Board Chair and Vice … Read More [Press release] FAO and RUFORUM renew Memorandum of Understanding

In my community, commercial livestock farming was seen as an activity for people who owned large acreages of land. Because the community is residential, most people live on small plots of land where such projects cannot be easily undertaken. With the knowledge and skills, I gained as part of my school orientation at Egerton University in Kenya, I decided to utilize the small space … Read More My chicken project is thriving because of support from RUFORUM

Agriculture is one of the sectors that has not been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why when schools were closed and I returned home, I opted to try my hands at some agricultural projects. I started with a project of nine pigs, which I named Zero Waste Organic Piggery Farm. To help me manage the animals well, I have employed one … Read More Piggery and tree planting are keeping me busy

My name is Esther Muber, a student at Gulu University doing a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. My education is funded under the TAGDev project of RUFORUM. During the lockdown, RUFORUM continued to offer support to us in different forms. I was able to participate in a number of online courses, through the several links that were shared by RUFORUM. They also provided … Read More With free internet from RUFORUM, I was able to continue my online learning

Before I benefited from a scholarship from the MasterCard Foundation that consequently improved my financial status, my family was landless. We had no source of ready income, and life was difficult. This situation was further complicated by the semi-arid nature of the Karamoja region where I come from, in North eastern Uganda. So, from the monthly stipend that I receive as a student at … Read More I was offered an opportunity to provide advisory services to farmers

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