African Food Fellowship to launch leadership programme in Rwanda

The African Food Fellowship will launch the Rwandan cohort of its Food Systems Leadership Programme on November 1, 2021. The Fellowship will welcome 31 fellows from Rwanda in a virtual ceremony graced by the Rwanda Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Gerardine Mukeshimana.

Also present at the ceremony will be renowned Rwandan food systems leaders Dr Eliane Ubalijoro, Executive Director of Sustainability in the Digital Age and the Global Hub Director in Canada for Future Earth, and Dr Sigrid Wertheim-Heck, Associate Professor Wageningen University and Research.

Dr Ubilajoro and Dr Wertheim-Heck will join Fellowship Director Joost Guijt and Dean Eunice Khaguli in a conversation about food systems leadership in Rwanda and on the continent.

The 31 fellows have demonstrated meaningful leadership in three impact areas in Rwanda’s food systems: access to nutritious food; sustainable land use and labour; and fintech for agricultural growth. “We are very impressed by the professional and personal quality of the group. Over 300 persons applied, 31 were selected. The Rwanda launch builds on what we have been successfully trialing in Kenya, where Fellows are in the next Stage of their programme,” said Mr Guijt.

The successful Fellows were competitively chosen on the quality of their applications, how well they fit into the impact areas and how well they did in interviews. Similar to their Kenyan peers, the Rwandan cohort will enjoy a highly interactive four-month training on systems insight followed by six months of coaching and technical mentoring in food systems action.

The Kenyan cohort is currently in Stage 2, dubbed Systems Action, where they are working with world class leadership coaches and mentors to develop their skills and bring their food transformation ideas and concepts to life.

The Fellowship was launched in Kenya in May 2021, with ambition to expand to 30 countries in ten years. It enjoys technical support from researchers and practitioners from Wageningen University & Research and Wasafiri, a global consultancy, and financial support from IKEA Foundation.

Link to the virtual launch event which will be held on 1st November 2021 from 16:30 – 18:00 CAT: click here

Meeting ID: 988 8724 3522

Passcode: 147466