Success Stories

Dr. Sarah Mubiru, 2009 AWARD Fellow, Uganda

Dr. Sarah Mubiru recently joined the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) in Kampala, Uganda as an agricultural advisor. She formerly served as the program assistant for the Livestock and Fisheries Programme of the Association of Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA).

“Having gone through an entire ASARECA project implementation cycle, I realized that it was time for me to move on and progress in my career purpose road map,” says Mubiru. “I have a passion for seeing research outputs positively impact the lives of farmers, and I hope I can obtain fulfillment towards this at SNV. The job will also increase my exposure to a working environment tilted more towards development than research.

“As much as I appreciate all the organizations and entities that have had input into my career, I acknowledge the immense contribution of AWARD to my career growth in equipping me with the skills for developing a focused career direction, rather than leaving my career to be guided by random incidents and processes. I also appreciate the opportunities I have received to mentor others in a formal and guided process, because this has helped me to grow tremendously and learn very valuable people skills. One of my major skills strengths for this new job was my experience in being mentored and mentoring others.”

Everlyne Cherobon, AWARD Fellow, Kenya

Everlyne Cherobon recently sent this update. “AWARD sponsored me to attend the Agribusiness Forum 2010 in Kampala, organized by the European Marketing Research Centre (EMRC). I entered the EMRC-Rabobank Project Incubator Award competition, and was the first runner-up. I competed again the next year, winning the $15,000 award, presented at the Agribusiness Forum 2011 in Johannesburg, which I am investing in my project, EMEDEN Kenya (http://emeden.webs.com). On track with the first goal of my career purpose road map, EMEDEN Kenya is now a full-fledged farmers’ organization. My second goal was to obtain an MSc; I am currently studying agricultural resources management at the University of Nairobi and am developing a research proposal on soil erosion and land degradation. I cannot be happier and I am proud of what I have accomplished as an AWARD Fellow.”

Olubukola Bosede Osuntade, 2011 AWARD Fellow, Nigeria

Olubukola Bosede Osuntade was recently promoted to the position of Lecturer II at the Oyo State College of Agriculture in Igboora, Nigeria. “The next step that I needed to climb on my career purpose road map has been reached,” proudly says Osuntade, who previously served as a program officer at the Livelihoods Support and Development Centre. “I have been hoping for this position for the last two years.”

Osuntade credits AWARD’s training in helping her recognize her potential. “AWARD opened my eyes to the many things that I never knew I could do that were locked up somewhere in me. I see things with a very different eye now—the eye of ‘I can do it’.”

Osuntade is particularly grateful for the guidance of her AWARD Mentor, Professor Sanni Lateef Oladimeji of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. “He is the best mentor anybody can have, and has helped greatly in the process of discovering the best in me,” she says. “Now if anybody asks me what my profession is, I can boldly say that I am a lecturer. The sky is just the starting point!”

Olubukola Victoria Oyerinde, 2011 AWARD Fellow, Nigeria

Dr. Olubukola Victoria Oyerinde recently presented a paper at the Second International Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2012 at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A. Her paper titled, “Climate Change Impacts and Adaptive Capacity of Forest Communities in South-west Nigeria: Gender Perspective”, was well-received by more than 120 participants who attended the panel session. “I was overwhelmed by the feedback I got from other participants about my presentation,” says Oyerinde. “I remain grateful to AWARD for setting me up on this ‘higher ground’ in my career development. My network is expanding!”

Oyerinde’s participation at the conference was supported by a grant from Elsevier, a scientific publishing company. She also attended a workshop at Adaptation Futures 2012, a conference on climate adaptation, which was held at the university the following week. Sponsored by NASA, SEDAC, UNEP, UNU-IHDP, and PROVIA, the workshop was on “Data Gaps for Research and Action on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts, and Adaptation.”

“The workshop brought major stakeholders to identify high-priority data weaknesses and gaps and to identify partnerships for addressing them,” says Oyerinde, a senior lecturer in the Forest Resource Economics Unit of the Department of Forestry and Wood Technology at the Federal University of Technology.

Charlotte Oduro-Yeboah, 2010 AWARD Fellow, Ghana

Charlotte Oduro-Yeboah was recently promoted to the position of Senior Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Food Research Institute in Ghana. Oduro-Yeboah’s goal is to teach smallholder farmers how to process cassava and plantain into dry flour forms to extend their shelf life. She is also involved in a community development project in the northern part of Ghana to train farmers in crop productivity. She was trained by the Millennium Challenge Accounts to help these farmers develop business plans to get funding. “The farmers are being taught to change their mindset and see farming as a business rather than a way of life,” she says.

Oduro-Yeboah was previously the Head of the Roots and Tuber Product Development Unit at CSIR.

Cecilia Maliwichi-Nyirenda, 2010 AWARD Fellow, Malawi

Cecilia Maliwichi-Nyirenda recently joined the University of Malawi's College of Medicine as a Scientific Operations Manager. In her new role she is responsible for strengthening research culture amongst junior faculty, undergraduates and postgraduate students at the College of Medicine, and generating income for the college through provision of consultancy and research training services. She is also responsible for collating, synthesizing, packaging, and disseminating research results for the use of health policy makers and programme managers.

Previously, Maliwichi-Nyirenda was a training coordinator at the Leadership for Environment and Development Southern and Eastern Africa Chancellor College at the University of Malawi. Her research interests include compiling, preserving, managing and promoting indigenous knowledge to ensure its availability to researchers, the general public and future generations.