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Agriculture in Africa: How Mastercard Foundation Scholars are Helping to Grow the Continent’s Productivity

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Update time : 2022-08-23 16:33:48

According to a 2019 report by McKinsey (https://mck.co/2XHsEcv), 60 percent of Africans are engaged in subsistence farming. It makes up 23 percent of the continent’s GDP and is one of the most critical sectors for development. Feed Africa (https://bit.ly/3Adv8Du), a report from the African Development Bank Group, states, “Africa has 65 percent of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land, an abundance of fresh water, and about 300 days of sunshine each year.” Africa’s potential to meet not only its own food needs but those of the rest of the world is abundantly clear.  Agricultural machine,gearbox,agricultural gearbox,agricultural reducer,Lithium battery

 

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program fosters the development of Africa’s future leaders in diverse sectors, including agriculture. Scholars are committed to giving back to their communities using their skills, knowledge, and networks to address challenges and drive innovation.Agricultural machine,gearbox,agricultural gearbox,agricultural reducer,Lithium battery

The Scholars Program includes initiatives such as the Scholars Entrepreneurship Fund (SEF), which was launched in 2018, and the Social Venture Challenge (SVC), a partnership with the Resolution Projects entering its seventh year. Both give Scholars and alumni an opportunity to pitch their ideas and bring them to life. Since 2016, more than 140 Scholars have been awarded Resolution Fellowships and their ventures are spread across 19 countries. Thirty-three percent of the Scholars surveyed regarding their ventures reported running ag-related businesses. Agricultural machine,gearbox,agricultural gearbox,agricultural reducer,Lithium battery

In 2016, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Lucia Lebasha and John Awiel, both Kenyans, created an award-winning social entrepreneurship project called Save the Pastoralist Initiative (STPI), motivated by their childhood experiences of hunger and severe drought in Turkana, Kenya. This was achieved through their knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices gained through their studies at EARTH University.Agricultural machine,gearbox,agricultural gearbox,agricultural reducer,Lithium battery

The people of Turkana predominately live a nomadic, pastoral way of life in which their animals are the primary source of food and wealth. Turkana is also one of the driest districts in the country; rainfall is minimal and unpredictable. The many years of drought have created an ongoing struggle with hunger and malnutrition and a continual threat to their cattle and pastoral land.

STPI began as an educational communications effort, writing and posting agricultural articles online in local newsletters and on their blog and Facebook page.Agricultural machine,gearbox,agricultural gearbox,agricultural reducer,Lithium battery

Taking these efforts one step further, Lucia and John established a demonstration farm in Lodwar, the region’s economic centre, where they educated traditional pastoralists and young people on the benefits of sustainable agricultural practices with a focus on subsistence farming, conservation, technology, and job creation. While John recently joined the admissions team at EARTH University, responsible for recruiting Scholars with a passion for agriculture, Lucia continues to run the project working with local communities and organizations in Turkana South Sub-County, Kangirega. The project currently supports 43 farmers (24 women and 19 men), providing training on agronomic farm inputs and linkages to markets for their products and financial institutions.

Project 7840  was developed by Scholars Ernest Chakwera and Nancy Machera in 2016 to alleviate the effects of droughts on their village of Khwelewere in the Ntchisi district of central Malawi. The project helps Malawians access water for consumption and crops, using local resources and promoting sustainable water use for the benefit of the community. It also provides local farmers with support and education about sustainable farming techniques, local market opportunities, and financing options.Agricultural machine,gearbox,agricultural gearbox,agricultural reducer,Lithium battery

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