Article by Edin Simms and Laina Schneider

Halt in research work at IPR_FRA de Katibougou

“Mali is facing major hurdles caused by the coup-d’état, especially in agricultural education and training.  These challenges are present in a wide geographic range, Bamako in particular, due to the influx of rural youth seeking perceived job opportunities,” said Ntam Baharanyi.

During January, Baharanyi and Youssouf Diabate, both of Tuskegee University – an InnovATE partner-visited Bamako and Katibougou, Mali, to assess the impact of the 2012 coup-d’état on agricultural education institutions. Their findings suggested that the crisis had a negative impact on the education and training system due to physical destruction, academic calendar disturbances, the inability to staff schools with teachers and reduced funding from government and donors. Continue reading >

Article by Laina Schneider

Bluefields is a colorful port city on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua known for its diverse population of different indigenous and Afro-Caribbean peoples. It is also one of many places in this area facing alarming rates of youth unemployment. The municipality has limited access to basic services, including education, due to its remote location in the isolated South Atlantic Autonomous Region. With regional population on the rise, rural youth are commonly involved with drug trade activities or are forced to migrate out of the area to find work in Managua, the capital city. Continue reading >

Article by Laina Schneider

Connecting to one another is a basic human instinct that fulfills our need to learn, teach, share and grow. It is how we get feedback on big decisions, share the joy of a promotion, or give advice to an employee. Online social networking has made connecting with others faster than ever, but the explosion of social media outlets has also made it harder to find like-minded people with specific interests or resources. Continue reading >

Article by Laina Schneider

What does it take to produce “more crop per drop”? An InnovATE team had this question on their minds this winter as they assessed the agriculture education and training system in Jordan. They hope to help the USAID mission design programs to improve water management, a critical component of the country’s agricultural system. Continue reading >

Article by Laina Schneider

This month, innovATE spoke with Dr. Maria Elisa Christie, an expert on gender, to learn about her perspective and experiences in agricultural education and training and development.

“My life and work are intimately related. I have always been able to work with what interested me, which is women’s stories,” says Dr. Maria Elisa Christie, Director of Women and Gender in International Development at the Office of International Research, Education and Development.

Christie has had a diverse career working on women and gender issues globally with a variety of development, research, and non-governmental agencies, as well as governments in the U.S. and Mexico. She has conducted research in countries such as Bolivia, Kenya, Senegal, Nepal and Uganda to advocate for women around the world. Earlier this week Christie spoke with Laina Schneider, innovATE research and communications assistant, about her career, book, and future aspirations. Continue reading >

Article by Wangui Gichane and Edin Simms

“It was just one of those weeks. After months of preparation for an international conference in South Sudan on agricultural education in post-conflict environments, the event was called off due to political instability,” said Tom Hammett, director of the Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education (innovATE) program.

“We didn’t want to lose the opportunity to come together, so we decided to hold the workshop in Nairobi, Kenya instead. Then the international terminal at the airport there caught on fire. So the workshop was moved again to Kampala, Uganda. The third time was finally the charm! I can tell you that the meeting was worth all of the delays and setbacks.” Continue reading >

Article by Laina Schneider and Wangui Gichane

In Uganda, the rapid increase in production of crops like coffee and maize is creating heightened demand for professionals all along the agricultural value chain. To meet this demand, Makerere University’s Department of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics has been tasked with providing appropriate courses to ensure that graduates develop strong economic and analytical skills so that they can fill these roles. However, some of the programs are falling short. Continue reading >