Members of the AWARD community shared insights with Akili Dada scholars on the importance of mentorship and choosing agriculture as a career path. The six scientists served as panelists as 31 girls from different high schools listened keenly to their respective mentoring journeys. Akili Dada was founded by AWARD Director Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg 13 years ago and serves as a leadership incubator for young women who are passionate about driving change in their communities. This is what the scholars said after the encounter:

Lydia

“I had mixed reactions before the meeting commenced. Upon hearing from the panelists, however, I got challenged and inspired to excel in my future career like they have. Aside from the talks, we also visited the ICRAF labs, which was the most exciting bit! The technological advances and the effort put in the innovations in the labs are impressive.”

Mary

“The meeting with AWARD was very informative. I learnt new interesting facts about agriculture. This changed my perception about it being about farmers and crops. Now I know there are various roles played by different sectors in agricultural production and how they impact farmers.”

Faith

“I never thought agriculture could be an interesting career choice. In my mind, it was all drudgery and unappealing. Thanks to the experiences shared by the panelists, I now know better. I’m interested in exploring either microbiology or marine technology!”