27 Rwanda Fellows complete first phase of food leadership programme

The pioneer class of the Food Systems Leadership Programme in Rwanda will graduate on Thursday from Stage 1 of the Fellowship in a virtual ceremony. 27 Fellows will receive certificates for successfully completing four months of an interactive online programme about concepts and skills for systemic change, dubbed “Systems Insights”.

“We are excited to graduate the first Rwandan class, and the second cohort overall to undertake our leadership programme. The Fellows have displayed innovative systems thinking, cognitive flexibility, ethical reflection, and collaborative leadership which will serve them well in these times of constant change. The Fellowship is immensely proud of what they have accomplished, and energized by the positive impact they continue to have on Rwanda’s food system,” said Fellowship Dean Eunice Khaguli.

The Fellows are spread across three impact areas: access to nutritious food; sustainable land use and labour; and food entrepreneurship. Under Systems Insights, they were introduced to systems leadership and tools for developing scenarios for systemic change in interactive classes by experienced researchers and practitioners from Wageningen University & Research and Wasafiri, a global consultancy.

During Stage 2, which will take place from April to August 2022, Fellows will engage with technical mentors and leadership coaches to build on concepts developed in Stage 1. The ultimate goal is to create workable and scalable food systems transformation initiatives. Fellows will be expected to deepen their systems- leadership practice through a blend of inspiration, coaching and mentoring around real-world issues and initiatives.

The Fellowship was launched in Kenya in May 2021, with ambition to expand to 30 countries in ten years. It enjoys financial support from IKEA Foundation.