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EDUCATION
MSU Scholar gives fresh insights on redesigning agricultural hand tools to Egerton University
The Faculty of Agriculture was honored to host Dr Susan Wyche from Michigan State University (MSU) for a one-week visit to Egerton University that ran from 1 to 8 March 2022. Dr. Susan held a public lecture for staff and held a 3-day training workshop on “Considering Human-Centered Design (HCD) in Development Research” to students from diverse backgrounds including in Computer science, Agronomy and Engineering disciplines at CMRT building, Njoro Main Campus. The students developed and designed 6 project prototypes which include: Innovative and Efficient Water harvesting and treatment for communities, Utilization of solar energy in drying and preservation of indigenous vegetables, Development of a drone for scaring Quelea qualea birds in rice irrigation schemes in Kenya, Queen bee rearing technology for increasing colonization of hives in drylands, Innovative technology for waste management in peri-urban areas to improve human health among others. Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs Prof Bernard Aduda commented the students for excellent ideas which can be deployed to solve farmers and societal problems in Kenya and promised to support. He also thanked the organizers of the training, Prof Susan for supporting student projects with USD 1400 as seed money for the projects and MSU for strong collaboration with Egerton University in all areas including joint projects, staff exchange and postgraduate supervision and value chain and policy analysis with Tegemeo Institute of Egerton University.
Dr Wyche’s main objective through the public lecture and workshop was to give insights on solving real community problems using the human centered design (HCD) approach. She gave an example of her project ‘redesigning agricultural hand tools for small holder farmers in Western Kenya. Lecturers and scientists from Egerton also shared opportunities they can collaborate with MSU in agronomy, breeding and crop protection, agricultural mechanization, clean energy, agribusiness and ICT and computer applications and community development .
Before her workshop on 1 March, Dr Wyche paid a courtesy call to the Vice-Chancellor Prof Isaac Kibwage. She was accompanied by Prof. Patience Mshenga, Dean Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Paul Kimurto Director, Marketing and Resource Mobilization and Dr Miriam Charimbu, a researcher from the Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils. Dr Charimbu doing her postdoctoral research at MSU within the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) and is mentored by Dr Wyche and Prof. Kimurto. Prof. Alexander Kahi who is the focal person for AAP at Egerton University also hosted the team at CoELIB Centre.
Egerton University is part of the Alliance for African Partnership, a consortium of MSU, ten leading African universities, and a distinguished network for African research institutes. The AAP Consortium is currently composed of ten member institutions: Michigan State University and eleven African institutions. Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) (Malawi), Makerere University (Uganda); L’université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako (ULSHB) (Mali), United States International University (USIU) (Kenya); University of Botswana, University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania); University of Pretoria, l’Université Cheikh Anta DIOP de Dakar (UCAD) (Senegal) and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Nigeria).
The vice chancellor and university management board wishes to than Prof Susan Wyche and MSU community for strong collaboration and supporting Egerton University staff and students in various engagements.
To read more: Michigan State University Visiting Scholar gives fresh insights on redesigning agricultural hand tools to Egerton University
By:
Raquel Acosta
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OTHER
Is Liberia Ready for Monetary Union? Exploring the Convergence Criteria for Eco Adoption
This is a policy brief document that I wrote along with my colleagues while working at the Liberian Ministry of Finance and Development and published in an online repository journal.
By:
Joe Greaves
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Modeling with ARIMA-ARCH/GARCH Techniques to Estimate Weekly Exchange Rate of Liberia
This empirical research focused on a weekly exchange rate volatility modeling, where I studied the distribution of the series and recommended to Central Bank authority the behavior pattern of the financial variable.
By:
Joe Greaves
OTHER
Investigating Saving and Investment Relationship: Evidence from an ARDL Bounds Testing Approach
This is an empirical economics research article that was published.
By:
Joe Greaves
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
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Feminist Africa, Volume 2, Issue 2 (2021): Gender and Sexuality in African Futurism
The newest issue of Feminist Africa is now available! The theme of the issue is "Gender and Sexuality in African Futurism." You can access the full issue at Current Issue - Feminist Africa. Learn more about Feminist Africa here.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editorial: Gender and Sexuality in African Futurism
· by Jacqueline-Bethel Tchouta Mougoué
Feature Articles
“How to Save the World from Aliens, Yet Keep Their Infrastructure”: Repurposing the “Master’s House” in The Wormwood Trilogy
· by Jenna N. Hanchey and Godfried Asante
When the Lagoons Remember: An Afroqueer Futurist Reading of “Blue Ecologies of Agitation”
· by Kwame Edwin Otu
“One Foot on the Other Side”: An Africanfuturist Reading of Irenosen Okojie’s Butterfly Fish (2015) and Akwaeke Emezi’s Freshwater (2018)
· by Kelsey Ann McFaul
Haunted Airports and Sexual Anxieties in Nana Nyarko Boateng’s “Swallowing Ice”
· by Delali Kumavie
Africanfuturism and the Reframing of Gender in the Fiction of Nnedi Okorafor
· by Arit Oku
Standpoint
The Liquid Space where African Feminism and African Futurism Meet
· by Minna Salami
Fiction
Land of My Dreams
· by Juliana Makuchi Nfah-Abbenyi
Exhibition
The Afrofuturist Village
· by Masiyaleti Mbewe
Reviews
“Liberation is Necessarily an Act of Culture”: A Review of Spirit Desire
· by Luam Kidane
Methodologies in Caribbean Research on Gender and Sexuality
· by Sylvia Tamale
Fashioning Postfeminism: Spectacular Femininity and Transnational Culture
· by Rosemary Oyinlola Popoola
By:
Raquel Acosta
URL
EDUCATION
Yar’adua Foundation Partners UNN To Open Sexual Harassment Portal
An innovation at UNN to address issues of sexual harassment and assault, making it easier for vicitims to report. This pilot could help other institutions to develop similar programs.
https://independent.ng/yaradua-foundation-partners-unn-to-open-sexual-harassment-portal/
By:
Amy Jamison
URL
EDUCATION
AAP Post Dialogue Debrief - Dr. Pinkie Mekgwe
Our conversation with Dr. Pinkie Mekgwe that dives even further into some of the pressing topics discussed in our September dialogue on “The Engaged University: Working with Policy Makers, Private Sectors, and Communities”.
By:
Raquel Acosta
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
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AAP Members engage SADC Chief
Four members of the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) – the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), University of Pretoria (UP), University of Botswana (UB) and University of Dar re Salaam (UDSM) – have engaged the SADC secretariat for partnership in a number of areas of development for the region.
The delegation, which included LUANAR Vice Chancellor Prof. Emmanuel Kaunda, engaged the recently elected SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi to discuss collaboration.
SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi
The leaders sought the attention of SADC, in partnering with universities on research in seven areas including youth empowerment which is also the focus of SADC Chairperson, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera.
In his remarks, Professor Kaunda said LUANAR is a Center of Excellence in a number of areas including aquaculture and fisheries which is recognised by the World Bank and yet has no significant recognition from the regional bloc.
“We have seen a little bit of disjoin there on how these centers can support the regional SADC agenda. Already we are offering PhDs and Master to students from 19 countries,” he emphasised.
This was echoed by Professor Swanepoel who represented UP, touching on the importance of collaboration as being key to regional integration.
Further, the universities want to work with SADC in areas of Human Capital Development, Centers of Excellence and Specialization, Policy dialogues, Gender, Science and Technology, Trade and Regional Integration and Engagement and empowerment of civil society organizations and other non-state actors,
According to Prof. Mkandawire, AAP Africa Director, who hosted the meeting, this is the first time a group of VCs has dated SADC and hoped that “this move will improve the way SADC works with universities.”
“Universities are key in human capital development for Africa through education and training. In addition, universities play a key role in the generation of knowledge through research, policy analysis and other types of analytical work,” he said.
Accordingly, said Mkandawire, VCs from SADC universities have joined efforts to deepen conversations with a focus on how institutions of higher learning can better contribute towards the advancement of SADC’s development frameworks.
In his immediate response, SADC ES, Magosi, said the meeting and the VCs' asks are “a very encouraging starting point” between the universities and SADC secretariat.
He noted the importance of Centers of Excellence as an important aspect to advance collaboration at a regional level suggesting a need to identify the available to build on and start others to close available gaps with focus on specific specialisation.
Among other calls, the VCs pointed out the need to define mechanisms of engagement between SADC secretariat and institutions of Higher learning, Centers of Excellence, and research Institutes in the implementation of SADC’s Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP).
Further, VCs propose to engage with SADC on how expertise within the universities, Think Tanks and Centers of Excellence can be utilized to shed light on the impact of processes related to regional integration and the Africa Free Trade Agreement.
The leaders also want to work with SADC on a region wide program to develop the capacity of early career female researchers to initiate and manage research projects as well as communicate research to policy makers and broader audiences.
By:
Raquel Acosta
AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS
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USAID Administrator Samantha Power: A New Vision for Global Development
USAID Administrator Samantha Power delivers remarks outlining a bold vision for the future of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and inclusive development around the world. The speech takes place as USAID celebrates its 60th anniversary. Administrator Samantha Power's remarks will be followed by a conversation with 2020 USAID Payne Fellow Katryna Mahoney
By:
Derek Tobias
EDUCATION
Top 100 Universities in Africa
Recently, Unirank published the 2021 African University Ranking of the top 200 recognized higher education institutions in Africa. AAP is proud to highlight eight of our consortium members who have been selected for this list:
University of Pretoria (2)
Makerere University (18)
University of Botswana (26)
University of Dar es Salaam (31)
University of Cheikh Anta Diop (37)
University of Nigeria (43)
United States International University Africa (55)
Egerton University (82)
AAP applauds our members for the recognition of their hard work and innovative thinking, and we are excited to see what the future holds for our partnership with these outstanding universities.
To see the full article/list visit: Top 200 Universities in Africa | 2021 African University Ranking (4icu.org)
By:
Raquel Acosta
HEALTH AND NUTRITION
WHO greenlights the world's first malaria vaccine — but it's not a perfect shot
The world's arsenal against malaria just got a fancy new bazooka. But it's not the easiest weapon to deploy, it only hits its target 30 to 40% of the time, and it's not yet clear who's going to pay for it.
The weapon in question is the RTS,S vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline, which on Wednesday got the green light from the World Health Organization for widespread use.
This is not only the first authorized malaria vaccine, it's also the first vaccine ever approved for use against a parasitic disease in humans.
The recommendation comes after RTS,S showed positive results in a pilot program in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. The vaccine cut malaria cases by 40% and reduced hospitalizations of the potentially deadly disease by nearly a third.
Continue reading on NPR website
By:
Derek Tobias
AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS
Farm credit giving Omoro and Amuru women farmers a lifeline
OMORO – Dero-she capital, a local community-based organization (CBO) is helping more than 170 rural women in Amuru and Omoro districts to profitably engage in agriculture by extending farm credit to them.
Instead of cash, the organization gives farmers credit in form of services like ploughing and inputs or farm implements like seeds and hand hoes.
Innocent Piloya, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dero-she capital told theCooperator that most times, rural women have agribusiness ideas but lack support to implement them.
“What we do is lend them support like hire a tractor to plough land for them, give them seeds and hand hoes to engage in farming. We also help them look for market for the crops. We then recover the money after they have sold off their harvest,” Piloya said.
“Our organization does not give actual credit to the farmers because the money can end up being diverted elsewhere once received. Much as a farmer may want a hoe or seeds, they might have more urgent needs like transport or treatment so they could end up using the money for a different purpose,” she explained.
Piloya explained further that, before the farm credit is extended to the women, they are trained on good agronomic practices and business skills to help them transform from subsistence to commercial farming before they are given the farm credit.
Continue reading on The Cooperator News website
By:
Derek Tobias
