Day 9: Ghana Teams

After so many adventures together, we felt as if we needed a day to collect our thoughts and put pen to paper. Therefore, we spent the day together reviewing the research that was conducted and writing up our reports for our presentations tomorrow. But first, we spent the morning reminiscing over our favorite moments from the trip. For some it was the canopy bridge walk, for others it was meeting such kind and friendly members of the community. One thing was for, nobody missed the driving! Tomorrow our meeting was moved up to 8 a.m. and with our flights taking off at 10 p.m. at the earliest we dedicated to make it an early night and hit the sack after dinner.

Day 1: South-South Dialogue

We all arrived to the hotel today, where we have been preparing for our meetings at the IFC tomorrow. Before dinner, the team convened to research the eight individuals that we will be meeting and prepare questions for them. We are also preparing short presentations to explain our research to each other. 

At dinner, we met our other team leader, Professor Iwan Azis, and two delegates from Indonesia, Alvin and Rizal. We discussed our hopes for the next day and our thoughts on the project thus far. It was interesting to hear about Professor Azis's inspiring career and experience with the Asian Development Bank. We are happy to have them join us because they add valuable experience to our project. 

Overall, it has been a tiring travel day with lots of team bonding. We are all excited for the long day of meetings tomorrow.

Day 7: Ghana Teams

Today we woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed for a day of key informant interviews! First we traveled to the Kumasi Teaching Hospital and had the fortune of being guided through the triage room, examination rooms, emergency department, and the record keeping spaces. Following this experience, we traveled to Afrancho to speak to a midwife at the Darso Health Center about her experiences working at the facility and what type of care her patients receive at this center versus other health facilities in the region. After this key informant interview, we traveled to the Pastor’s house to talk with him and his wife. We learned about the roles they play in their communities related to healthcare behaviors and what gaps they notice in healthcare accessibility in the region. 

After these interviews, we reflected on the day as we traveled back to Kumasi and enjoyed the sunset! 

Day 6: Ghana Teams

Today we rested in the morning before taking the bus to a kente cloth center. There, we learned about the history of kente cloth, observed the process of creating a kente strip and bought souvenirs from the gift store. Then we drove to Lake Bosumtwi, which is the only natural lake in Ghana and was formed by a crater. We then ate dinner at the Kumasi Mall and then rested for the day ahead of us tomorrow.

Day 5: Ethical Beekeeping Team, Rwanda

Today, we spent our day getting to know the Rwandan Organic Beekeeping Company (ROBEEC LLC), who centers their approaches around the wellbeing of African bees, the significance of knowledge, and community empowerment through social enterprise and local investment. Alongside the Hive Mind Team, we met ROBEEC’s beekeepers and learned about the architecture of the hives that they use. Roch Domerago, one of the founders and Vice President, had designed the beehives around the natural environment and preferences of African bees, which he observed were smaller than European bees. We also received a tour of the site, where we learned about how the hives are made in the carpentry and how the honey their honey house operates to get the honey safely from the hive to jars. After the tour, we (Rhealynn and Grace) stayed behind at ROBEEC while the other beekeeping team travelled to meet with cooperatives. There, we heard stories about the beginnings of ROBEEC from Roch, Eve, Jean Baptiste, and Amata as well as the early work of Roch after sharing a lovely lunch at their home and company site in Huye.

Day 4 : HiveMind

Today is the second day in Huye. We went to Matyazo first and had an exciting adventure. After the hiking, we asked several questions about beekeeping and training in cooperatives, such as the length of training program, knowledge they got from training, and discussed how to build ethical beekeeping and the challenges and opportunities for beekeeping industry.

After lunch, we went to Arboretum de Ruhande and had a meeting with Dr. Ivan Casancwa who is the forest research division manager of Rwanda Forestry Authority. We learned a lot about the community development, forest ownership and management. That information could provide more insights for our beekeeping project. Then we went to Rwanda Agriculture Board to have a visit of office and hives. We were well protected by the suits and everyone was excited this experience of opening the hive and seeing how the bees worked in it.

Day 3: Hivemind

We are going to the field today！

We hopped on a safari car at Serena Hotel and started our trip to Huye, a district in the south of Rwanda. Everyone was super excited.

After about an hour of driving, we stopped at Muhanga and visited the bee hives of Arubi, a beekeeping cooperative headed by Jean-Paul (based on pronunciation). John-Paul showed us around and taught us how to tell if a hive is well colonized. We also asked questions about trainings, access to funding, types of hives, cost of equipments, production, pesticides problem, and potential for improvement. Jean-Paul thoroughly and frankly answered all the questions and we learned so much from him. 

Later, Jean-Paul took us to his processing room where he showed us the traditional hive, which is the first time we see it.

After this unexpected event with John-Paul, we headed south for 3 hours, stopping at Stafford Coffee for lunch, and finally arrived at Hotel Mater Boni Consilii in Huye. It is a decent hotel.

At 6pm, we gathered at the lobby with Fridah and discussed future plans and some potential ideas to solve beekeeping problems in Rwanda. We touched on essential issues and came up with numerous solutions. 

Day 6: Hivemind

Sadly, today was our last day in the field. We spent the morning with ROBEEC visiting one of their apiaries. The entire team suited up in all of the proper protection equipment and we went with ROBEEC's expert beekeepers to see the hives up close. The beekeeper's opened the hives for us and allowed us to see the bees at work. They explained to the team how the smokers were used to help keep the bees calm using eucalyptus leaves. 

After leaving the apiary, we traveled back to ROBEEC's home where we had a scrumptious meal with vegetables from their garden. Roch, Eve, and Jean Baptiste went over what we had seen at the apiary and how their beekeeping techniques keep the bees happy and stress free. After lunch, we continued to discuss the ROBEEC business model and their goals for the future of Rwandan Apiculture. 

Tomorrow we will work on our presentation and prepare to return to Kigali. 

Rajat with a gentle bee!

Beautiful view from the apiary!

Jean Baptiste, Eve, and Roch of ROBEEC

Day 5: Ghana Teams

We had an early morning with breakfast at 7 a.m. to prepare for our day of fieldwork. We then traveled on the bus to go to the Woraponso community to observe the OKB Hope Foundation's interactions with a rural community and speak with two faith healers about their work in promoting biomedical health care in to their congregations.

On the drive home we stopped at a food center and got frozen yogurt from Pinkberry and then headed to a local infamous restaurant Ike's Cafe and Grill and ate traditional food and sang karaoke. It was a great team bonding moment!

Day 3: Women-Led Agribusinesses Transforming Agriculture in Rwanda

 

The only bumpy part of our research trip to Rwanda was the road to the Rwamagana district. The hospitality of the people, the serenity of the Mugesera Lake, and the cute baby goats roaming around rejuvenated the team after a long day of travel. However, the most significant takeaway was Rose Muhumuze and Emma Uwera’s amazing work as the female founders of E&E Green Farms and I & J Harvest. Their collaboration has created farms that are well-managed and highly organized despite stretching beyond the horizon. An hour and a half’s walking only led us to see less than 20% of the 52 hectares. Rose and Emma’s partnership is a prime example of how women-led agribusinesses are making a positive impact on Rwanda's society and economy.

A network of women is readily transforming agriculture in Rwanda by laying the foundations for innovative business and agricultural practices. Rose founded E & E Green Farms to develop the seed multiplication industry in the country with immense potential to benefit Rwandans. The company rents farms with cooperatives for agriculture to produce the seeds and sells them to distributors once they are certified. E & E Green Farms plays a critical role beyond seed production including providing training and support to cooperatives to effectively engage in seed production and multiplication. At the same time, E & E Green Farms also partners with other women leaders in the agricultural sector creating an effective network and fostering collaboration.

Some innovative features of the farms include the strategic location next to Lake Mugesera. The farms were irrigated through a rain-fed system with canals that supplied water to all areas of the farm while carrying excess water into the lake. To prevent animals from stumbling onto the maize crops and consuming the maize, the maize plants were surrounded by sweet potato crops. The sweet potato crops acted as a barrier distracting animals and leading them to consume the sweet potato instead of the maize crops. The farms also had a person walking rounds to prevent animals and people from consuming the maize.

The most remarkable feature was the stark difference between the seeds planted by E & E Green Farms and I & J Harvest compared to traditional maize crops. With two rows of male and six rows of female crops, the E & E plants were much larger than their counterparts and generated a larger yield. The E & E and I & J seeds were the WH507 variety adapted to mid-altitudes and the rainfall conditions of the Rwamagana district. Therefore, from irrigation to location and seeds to management, the fields were effectively organized.

Finally, we also had the opportunity to interview Emma to understand her business, goals, and her daily activities. Presently, she was waiting for the maize crops to grow, having planted them earlier. Emma also conducts research as an Agronomist on seeds in her field to enhance production, yield, and sustainability. One of the challenges that she faced was the uncertainty and unpredictability of the seeds produced in each cycle which limited her ability to sell in the market and negotiate contracts as the yield can vary due to many factors beyond her control. Finally, her main aspiration for the future is to build an in-house research team that can work with her to improve yield and sustainability. However, the challenge is that research is funding and resource intensive.

 

Day 4: Ghana Teams

After a bus ride of roughly 2 hours, we reached Amantenaman Health Center. At the health center, we heard from the director of the sub-district health center, a registered mental health nurse, and a religious leader. Here we learned about the flow of patients through the health center and heard about some of the most common health concerns faced in the community such as malaria, anemia, and asthma. Pastor Dan spoke with us about his congregation and his challenges.

Then, we spoke with a religious leader who significantly shifted our view on the role of faith healers in rural communities and their relationship with community members.

Next, we spoke with the Municipal Director of Health Services at the Municipal Health Directorate and gathered helpful information about Ghana's health system today compared to past years. He also shared his perspective and expressed his concerns about the role of faith healers in his community.

From there we drove for another hour and a half to a remote rural community where we were able to see the OKB Hope Foundation medical van in action! Here we were also able to meet other volunteers working with the foundation 😀and heard from a couple community members' experiences with the national health insurance, healthcare perceptions, and access to healthcare overall. 

Day 4: Ranging Rice Growers Cooperative & Successful Stories

11, January 2024

Today, the E&E green farms were excited to experience our second day in the field. We began our day by visiting the first farm, the twanging swamps in eastern Rwanda in the Karangazi Sector. The government dedicated this marshland to seed multiplication, enabling Ranging Rice Growers Cooperative to succeed in the area. 

We met with 4 out of 98 members in the cooperative and have a combined land area totaling 165 hectares. Refer to the photo below, ordered from left to right: 

• Delphine Nyirarukundo: farmer 6/7 years. 

• Francoise Nyiranizeyimana is an agronomist with three years of experience and a bachelor's in agriculture and irrigation. 

• Anastase Niyonsaba is a farmer who has been working for around three years. 

• Eddy Ntambra coordinates farming activities and has five years of experience.

All members shown below have a personal connection to agriculture as they reside near the twanging swamps and are experienced in agriculture. 

Out of 165 hectares, E & E Green Farms operates on 5 hectares; being that they are a smaller cooperative, they need help to access a higher percentage of land. However, the relationship between the collective and E&E green farms has been successful as E & E provides reliable and consistent services. Every growing season, E&E Green Farms can provide seeds, pesticides, and training at the start of the growing season. These cooperatives are not obligated to work with E&E Green Farms, but the professionalism displayed keeps them coming back, as there are no delays in their necessary supplies. The Nyagatare area is a low-altitude region; therefore, the seed variety utilized is  WH403. Like Emma's farm, we witnessed a similar growing technique. They have three rows of female maize, with 1 row separating each set of female and male maize bordering the perimeter. Last year, they worked with E & E Green Farms for soybean seed production; this year, they are focused on maize production.

Regarding sustainability efforts, the farm utilized the residue from the maize harvest for livestock feed. In many countries, the residue is oftentimes burned; however, the Rwandan government recognizes this is not environmentally responsible, so open burning is not allowed. In addition, some residue is taken to the banana plantations.   

After collecting insightful data and profile photos of the 4 Ranging Rice Growers Cooperative members, we traveled to our second farm, Rwinbogo Farm. We were able to interview Winnie Fre Mutoni,  a fresh college graduate from the University of Rwanda Majoring in Agricultural Engineering who is passionate about their future in agriculture. In the future, she hopes to have an agriculture business. Winnie wants to specialize in producing fresh beans as they are scarce and can be promising in the right market. 

After, we returned to our hotel to translate our data. As we worked diligently, we could share and partake in stories about our lives, which has made us closer to our partner, Rose Muhurwaza

Day 6: The Farmer's Service Center

The weather is unpredictable in Rwanda. Last night, it rained heavily; the storm was so loud that it woke up everyone. But you can barely tell there was a heavy rain last night because the ground is dry, and everything looks normal. It’s like magic.

Rose and us had breakfast together; it was omelets and boiled eggs again, but not bad. After the breakfast, we went to the Farm Service Center. USAID funds it, and every product is 70% lower than the market price for the farmers. The center has three parts: Veterinary Pharmacy and Livestock Inputs; Pesticides, Fertilizers, Seeds, Agriculture Equipment; and Animal Feeds. The products are nicely displayed. E & E do not buy seeds from the center, though; they produce seeds to sell after the seeds are certified. For most seeds, they are from Rwanda’s seed companies. E & E want to sell their seeds sometime at the center, and they are working toward the goal.

The Farm Service Center

The Center of Pesticides, Fertilizers, Seeds, Agriculture Equipment

Interestingly, new varieties, such as red cabbage, are in the center, but farmers seldom know about it. Later, we visited Rose’s office; it was lovely. Rose will stay in the office during the busy harvesting seasons.

After finishing the primary data collection tasks, we are working to clean the data, create content, and build websites.

Day 3: Ghana Teams

Today the team headed to the University of Ghana Medical Campus to speak with Professor Yawson, who provided an overview on the healthcare system in Ghana. Nia also joined our trip after her brief stint with COVID! We learned that a challenge for the healthcare system is that most workers in Ghana are informal workers who do not pay taxes so they do not help fund the National Health Insurance System. The burden is disproportionately placed on a few citizens.

We then drove five and a half hours to the city of Kumasi and checked into our new hotel. Halfway we made a rest stop for lunch and ate traditional Ghanaian food. While waiting for dinner at the hotel we discussed the healthcare system and how our teams are positioned to provide recommendations for the OKB Hope Foundation. Then we went to bed early because we are conducting field work tomorrow!

Day 3: Promoting Good Strategies To Encourage A Healthy Private-Public Partnership

 The SMART E&E Green Farms Team began the day by meeting with Quintin Dussart, the Economic and communications manager of the French embassy in Rwanda. Dussart explains the nuances of development and how it is handled by ministries. As a French diplomat, his job is to promote links between Rwanda and France. It is important to note that France in Rwanda is a development partner, not the developer. Currently, 40 French companies are operating in Rwanda compared to bout 3 French companies operating post-genocide. 

This is significant as it shows that the French are becoming increasingly interested in various sectors in Rwanda. In 2021 the French publically announced their hand in enabling the genocide to occur, for this reason, the relationship between France and Rwanda is being rebuilt. The 3 sectors that France intervenes with are promoting the French language, green economy, and health. Dussart made it clear that Frances's focus is not primarily on the agriculture sector so he was not as helpful in answering many of our agriculture-specific questions. There is international interest in the Rwandan agriculture sectors that unless there is a lucrative business interest for France they believe the risk of doing business in East Africa, a region they are unfamiliar with as compared to West Africa, is not worth it. Also, they do not have the capacity as the French embassy only has 6 people on the ground. In light of this, everything is politically related to their policy.  

In this meeting, we were also joined by Fred Rubagenga who works for the Belgium Trade Commissioning Office. The Belgium government when it comes to the agriculture sector wants to industrialize the pork and chicken industry. The French and Belgians are also collaborating to develop the bamboo industry by utilizing Bamboo construction materials. Fred called on support from Robin Theirs, First Secretary at the Belgian Embassy in Kigali, to answer our questions regarding agriculture. It is unclear how effective the incorporation of Thiers and Rubagenga was but it was very insightful for the team to see the communication between our private-public partners. Our partners from E&E Green Farms, ROBEEC LTD., and RAB were present in this meeting as well and were able to ask questions. Rose Muhumaza gave a very insightful and informative presentation explaining her operations at E & E Greens Farms and the impact it has on the livelihood on smallholder female farmers and youth. This directly connected and aligns with the missions of the USAID as they try to revitalize the agriculture sector. 

Currently, youth are not drawn to the agriculture sector even though it employs 70 percent of the population. The reasoning for this is that compared to other pathways agriculture does not directly translate into profits which discourages youth from joining the sector. Youth and women lack access to land, lack of technology use, and lack of knowledge about where they can work. Our second set of meetings was with representatives from the USAID office specifically working in the Economic Growth Office and a Food security specialist was present. Their main goal is to increase animal source consumption. Nutritious food, access to the market, and societal behavioral misconceptions about food. They have a five-year strategy to do so. A part of this strategy is to lead from the business sector to introduce contract farming therefore guaranteeing what is being produced will be sold and emphasizing the use of kitchen gardens. Students were able to ask questions related to the agriculture sector which was helpful in better helping us understand the importance of the work we are doing. The students were able to have a last whole Rwandan SMART TEAM dinner after exploring the craft markets. 

Day 3: Ethical Beekeeping Team, Rwanda

As we made our way from Kigali to Huye, we made a pleasantly unexpected stop in Muhanga District to meet with Jean Paul­—a beekeeper and the president of one of the local beekeeping cooperatives. With Jean Paul leading the way, we briefly hiked up a hillside to see his 9 beehives and he shared with us some of the challenges he faces as a smallholder beekeeper in this region of Rwanda. One of those challenges was the changing climate. The amount of rain he has been seeing at this time of year is unusual and threatens the health of his hives. Secondly, he expressed that the materials needed to manage modern beehives, as opposed to traditional beehives, are expensive and short-lived though modern hives produce more honey. Nonetheless, Jean Paul explained that to nurture strong hives, it’s “not only materials” that are needed, “but also knowledge.” Jean Paul felt that the training he had received was not enough and that many people are interested in participating in beekeeping, but they don't know how to attain the knowledge they need. Afterwards, Jean Paul showed us the traditional hives he uses to catch bee swarms and some of the materials he uses. 

Later that day, we arrived at our hotel in Huye just before the thunderstorm began and shared a dinner with Roch and Eve from ROBEEC and Willy from RAB.

Day 2: Beekeeping, Genocide, the Present and Future

Today, we had an insightful conversation with Willy Mwiza (Head of Commercial Insects & Beekeeping RAB) and the ROBEEC team. The discussion revolved around how to boost the beekeeping industry in Rwanda. Willy introduced us to the background and current development of the industry. According to Willy, there is a high demand for Rwanda’s honey, but the production does not meet the demand. From his perspective, the lack of human resources from different skill set levels is accountable for the issue. Nationally, Rwanda needs talents for project management; country-wide, Rwanda needs people who know about the beekeeping infrastructure; and organizationally, Rwanda needs people who have skill sets in areas such as packaging and transportation. It seems like the construction of a complete value chain for the beekeeping industry in Rwanda is yet to be finished, and due to the lack of human resources, such completion becomes difficult.

Willy Mwiza (Head of Commercial Insects & Beekeeping RAB

An argument then sparked between the ROBEEC team and Willy. The founders of ROBEEC are very interested in beekeeping in Rwanda and have submitted proposals to help Rwanda develop the industry. From ROBEEC’s perspective, as a private company, they have the potential to help Rwanda boost the sector with their solid ideas that came from practical experiences.

Roch Domerego, ROBEEC Team

In the afternoon, we visited the Rwanda Genocide Memorial. We were all silently reading the posters. It was not far away from now; it happened in the 1990s. The survivors are mostly still alive, and the youngest generation is only around 30. To live with the memory of such a nightmare is unimaginable. We saw colonialism, racism, hate, and crime. Astonishingly, hatred can become so pure and potent and spread so fast for two ethnicities living together for centuries. We later discussed human nature. We saw the story of a Hutu who killed his neighbors and later realized his crime and did community service to serve his people. In the video, he said that after the genocide, he wanted to do nothing but good things for his communities. Human nature is complicated. When discussing the question, “Do you believe in human nature?” we usually assumed it was either good or bad. But it’s a blend of a lot of things. There are dark sides, and they sometimes cause damage to humanity. The point is that we can accept that humans are evil sometimes and are a combination of good and bad. But to believe in human nature is to think that even though we make mistakes sometimes, it will improve because there is also kindness embedded in our souls, and we care for each other at the end of the day.

The Rwanda Genocide Memorial

After visiting the memorial and reflecting on our meeting, it is intriguing to think about how the countries who are responsible for the genocide are doing business in Rwanda. The genocide has just gone for 30 years, and we will never know if Rwanda can recover fully from its history. We believe the country is recovering; maybe it just needs more time. But what does “recover” mean for a country that has been through colonialism, racism, and genocide? Does economically recovering mean that everything is ok? Can an individual recover from such an event, or will it become a permanent mark on one’s soul? Who is going to save those individuals who either lost their families, saw them being tortured and killed, or killed their wives, neighbors, and friends with their own hands?

Although it's just our second day in Rwanda, we've already learned much about its past and present. We look forward to the future trip.

Day 2: Ghana Teams

We started the day with breakfast at the hotel and headed to the National Health Insurance Authority. There we met with several officials in the Private Health Insurance Directorate. We discussed how the National Health Insurance Scheme is financed and the benefits it provides to Ghanaian residents. We then went to the University of Ghana where we met with Professor Joseph Osafo and discussed the role that religious leaders play in healthcare delivery in Ghana, especially in promoting mental health. We learned that 80% of residents of Kumasi go to religious leaders before seeking professional medical care. After the meeting, we went on a tour of the University of Ghana led by Professor Osafo’s assistant Priscilla. Then we had a late lunch together at a restaurant in Accra where everyone tried plantain and jollof rice. Finally, we ended the day doing some team bonding by the pool.

Day 1 - HiveMind

 Our first day in Kigali presented us with a myriad of experiences, exposure to the local area, and learning more about the rich history Rwanda has to offer while having our first meetings with stakeholders from the private and public sectors. Starting from our morning, we had our first official meeting with stakeholders from RAB, ROBEEC, and E & E, this meeting introduced us to the case study we'll be working towards, as well as highlighting the issues that exist between the private and public sectors of beekeeping. As summarized, the meeting displayed a fundamental issue with the public sector, RAB, as it's primarily run by a one-man army, Willie, who tries to answer everything but finds himself in a myriad of conflicts trying to answer everything while not having every major resource to help answer. The conflicting interest present from the meeting is RAB wants to increase production through any means necessary to develop Rwanda, while private company stakeholders such as ROBEEC and E & E, want to increase the sustainability of beekeeping and the agriculture that surrounds the field. After our meeting, our team ventured off toward the Kigali Genocide Memorial where we saw the eternal flame (pictured below), images of the genocide, and texts on how the genocide occurred. From the trip, one quote struck me "Rwanda was dead" at the presentation of the height of the genocide. While this quote tries to describe the tragedy at a particular moment, it truly enveloped more about hope and what's to come. The way it said "was" during the height of all the worst things to happen in Rwanda, shows that although it was bad, the hope to make it better was still available. This principle of hope in disastrous times serves as a tool for the Rwandan people and is something we can learn from in our project when it comes to solving these issues of our project. But through any tough time, a concrete plan and a solid mind are what truly propel hope to something grand.

Day 2 HiveMind

 Today the team met with diplomats from both the French and Belgian Embassy’s to discuss the role of foreign entities operating within Rwanda. The discussion ranged from how France invests development aid in Rwanda to how private businesses work with government entities. Rose from E&E Green Farms seed company gave a presentation on her company's mission, goals, and processes. The team also engaged with the U.S. Embassy and USAID for a short meeting and was able to learn more about current development projects happening in Rwanda. It was a great day for the team to better understand how different government entities could help with promoting sustainable beekeeping in Rwanda. 

After the work was complete the team was able to get out and do some shopping in Kigali and see more of the city. We are looking forward to getting out into the field and learning from the beekeeping cooperatives. 

Day 1: Ghana Teams

The team arrived in Accra. After everyone settled in we went to exchange currency and do a little bit of shopping at the mall. We ended the day by eating dinner together at our hotel, where we tried traditional Ghanaian foods like eba and okra soup. 

Day 1: Ethical Beekeeping Team, Rwanda

Today marked the official beginning of our SMART project! Starting in Kigali, we met with our key stakeholders: Mwiza Willy who heads the Apiculture and Commercial Insects Program for the Rwandan Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), Rose Muhumuza the founder of E&E Green Farms, and representing the Rwandan Organic Beekeeping Company (ROBEEC) were founders Roch Domerago and Eve De Sadeleer, as well as administrators Habimana Jean Baptiste, and Iyibukiro Amata Bonne. We gained valuable insight from the work and values of ROBEEC and RAB and are looking forward to hearing more about E&E Green Farms from Rose as well as navigating the relationship between ROBEEC and RAB. Afterwards, we visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial where we learned about the history leading up to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, listened to the stories of survivors, and learned about what the country is doing now to rebuild and move forward. All this to say, it was an exciting and emotional beginning to our journey and research!

Rwanda Day 1

 Welcome to Kigali, Rwanda!

First SMART fellows arrived in Rwanda on January 6, 2024.

SMART fellows are beginning to arrive in Kigali, Rwanda, to begin their week-long fieldwork all across the country. With a packed itinerary, each project will spend the week traveling to various locations to meet with their community partners and prominent stakeholders (such as the Ministry of Agriculture). Many days will be spent collecting data in the field as teams seek to address their respective SMART Challenge. 

Visit each team's project page to learn about their community partner, SMART Challenge, and meet this year's fellows!

Stay tuned for daily team updates, photos, and more.