Progress 12/15/23 to 12/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience(s) reached during this reporting period included faculty, students, administrators from Alabama A&M University, Delaware State University, Alcorn State University, and University of Rwanda, local communities in Rwanda and Alabama, elementary, secondary, and high schools students in Rwanda. The US participants during this period included Dr. Zachary Senwo (PI), Professor of Soil/Environmental Microbial Biochemistry; Dr. Lamin S. Kassama (co-PI), Professor of Food Engineering/Processing and Program Coordinator; Dr. Xia (Amy) Zhang (co-PI), Associate Professor of Accounting; Dr. Bokai Robertson (Alabama State University), Professor of Enironmental Microbiology; Dr. Samuel Besong (Delaware State University), Professor of Food and Nuitrition,; and students Paige Martin (BS, Food Science), Eboni Major (MS, Food Science), Miya Adams (MBA, Logistics), and Mia Perry (BS, Business Management). Their combined efforts aimed to expand institutional capacities internationally and strengthen food, agriculture, and business research across partner institutions in Rwanda. Themain targets wereundergraduate and graduate students, scientists, teaching, extension, and research faculty especially at participating institutions. There existinsufficient numbers of trained and diverse professionals, particularly underrepresented US minorities with global perspectives or experience within or entering into the agricultural science work force. The need is there to inspire students and faculty to broaden their horizons through global learning and international exchanges. In general, minority serving institutions' undergraduates and graduates training programs in agricultural scienceslack global competency and experiential learning skills. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Feedback from the local community was overwhelmingly positive, supporting the further development of the porridge into a business venture. The program underscored the importance of collaboration, cultural exchange, and community-based problem-solving. Students and faculty reflected on the life-changing nature of the experience, professionally and personally. Looking ahead, the project envisions more value-added processing of locally available crops to combat malnutrition and stunted growth in children within the community. Additionally, it aims to continue strengthening the partnership between Alabama A&M University, University of Rwanda, and Delaware State University. In Rwanda, there is the need for increased efforts to reduce stunting among children to15% from its current 21.7% levels in Rwanda. Educating and supporting vulnerable households in Rwanda is essential to eradicating stunting among children. The Rwanda governemnt aims to reduce the current stunting rate to 15% by 2029. Other opportunities provided included engaging local communities in nutritional education. The cooking demonstrations, basic parenting education, and anthropometric measurements, the program provided measures to identify malnourished children early and refer them to health facilities for treatment. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results are being disseminated via campus seminars and lectures. We publicized the program, diversity of cultural and global opportunities during the 2024College of Agriculture Faculty/Staff Conference, and 2024AAMU International Day.In partnership with Global ties Alabama, we are sharing our story and activities with the wider Huntsville communitiesand Madison County residents. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?[1]. Identify students and faculty participants for recruitment for 2025 summer opportinuties in another Sub-Saharan country; [2]. Develop and update international experiential learning courses modules; [3] Encourage students to seek partial support for a semester long study abroad in agriculture in sub-sahara Africa; [4]. Publize the program on various 1890 campuses; [5].Students and faculty present seminars/workshops in US and host country; [6]. Identify faculty exchange, teaching and research opportunities; [7]Expose prospective students to issues related to international food and agricultural sciences and topics thatinclude current issues, history, culture, opportunities, etc.; [8]. Disseminate the experience and discuss the global perspectives of food and agricultural science and careers opportunities in international agriculture; [9]. Promote agricultural research collaborations with partner institutions; [10]. Publicize the program, diversity of cultural and global opportunities;[11]. Exchange educational and research ideas, opportunities for enhanced research, teaching and outreach collaborations, [12](1) initiating and establishing experiential learning partnerships with Rwanda and sub-Saharan Africa institutions; (2): increasing the number of students participating in international food, agriculture, and natural resources sciences opportunities; (3): developing joint faculty mentoring and training opportunities in some Agriculture Challenge Areas , and (4) using this and other overseas partnerships to build stronger pipelines for minority student recruitment into our programs.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Faculty and students from Alabama A&M University, Delaware State University, and University ofRwanda, developed and produced a porridge product to combat malnutrition to reduce stunting in Rwanda's rural community. Students were able to expand their global awareness of a sub-Sharan African cultural and economic setting, enhanced their professional growth with exposure to international research and community outreach training opportunities. Students were able to developcollaborative partnerships among faculty and students at Rwanda institutions. Students conducted market research and developed a high-nutrient-dense porridge formula for children aged 6 months to 5 years, using locally available ingredients such as millet, wheat, maize, sorghum, soybeans, pumpkin seed flours, and minced carrots. They conducted sensory test at Kadehenda Village in the Jyambere community, Kimonyi sector, North Musanzi Province of Rwanda. Based on the feedback received, the students improved the porridge formula by substituting soybeans with roasted soybean seed flour and refining the texture to make it more acceptable. The project also included a feasibility study and a cost-benefit analysis to demonstrate the economic viability of the porridge as a potential small-scale business venture. We also promoted the establishment of home gardens to ensure that every household can access fresh vegetables to contribute to overall better nutrition.
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Progress 12/15/22 to 12/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:With this project the main targets are undergraduate and graduate students, scientists, teaching, extension, and research faculty especially at 1890 institutions.There are insufficient numbers of trained and diverse professionals, particularly underrepresented minorities with global perspectives or experience within or entering into the agricultural work force.The need is there to inspire students and faculty to broaden their horizons through global learning and international exchange.Minority serving institutions' undergraduates and graduates training programs in agriculture lack global competency and experiential learning skills. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This Fall 2023, two Rwandan students were accepted to pursue MS studies at Alabama A&M University and Alcorn State University [Mississippi].The University of Rwanda/College of Agriculture hopes to increase the number of agriculture students starting agriculture related businesses upon graduation. We have been providingworkshops to faculty and students on tropical Agriculture/Food systems (Research and Education), sustainable agriculture, food security, smart agriculture, climate change, cultural farming practices and innovative solutions to complex challenges in Rwanda and developing countries. We have created the linkage between AAMU and University of Rwanda [as ourresource platform in the area international agriculture education within sub- Sahara Africa]. We are providingexpertise to develop faculty-Student exchange programs with Rwanda and other sub-Saharan institutions. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results are being disseminated via campus seminars and lectures. We publicized the program, diversity of cultural and global opportunities during the 2023 College of Agriculture Faculty/Staff Conference, 2023 AAMUInternationalDay and at the 2023 African Studies Association Conference in San Francisco. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?[1]. Identify students and faculty participants for 2025 summer opportinuties in Rwanda;[2]. Develop and update international experiential learning courses modules;[3] Encourage students to seek partial support for a semester long study abroad in agriculture in sub-sahara Africa;[4]. Publize the program on various 1890 campuses;[5]. Recruit and select students into the program;[6]. Administer pre-participation surveys and evaluations;[7]. Students and faculty to participate in the summer experiential learning program in Rwanda;[8]. Students and faculty present seminars/workshops in US and Rwanda;[9]. Identify faculty exchange, teachingand research opportunities;[9] Rwanda counterparts visit AAMUand othe 1890 land-grant institutions;[10]. Expose prospective students to issues related to international food and agricultural sciences and topics that include current issues, history, culture, opportunities, etc.;[11]. Disseminate the Rwanda experience and discuss the global perspectives of food and agricultural science and careers opportunities in international agriculture;[12]. Promoteagricultural research collaborations with partner institutions;[13]. Publicize the program, diversity of cultural and global opportunities;[14]. Exchange educational and research ideas, opportunities for enhanced research, teachi and outreach collaborations.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A US Team comprised of Dr. Zachary Senwo/PI [AAMU], Dr. Lamin Kassama/Co-PI [AAMU], Dr. Xia Zhang/Co-PI [AAMU], Dr. Valens Niyigena/Co-PI [AAMU/RICA], and Dr. Samuel Besong [DSU] were in Rwanda between March 4 and March 20 to launch the project, initiate collaborations and establish experiential learning partnerships with Rwanda institutions to engage faculty, students, and other stakeholders in 2023 activities. Dr. Saidi Mbaraka, Project coordinator at University of Rwanda,organized meetings with officials at the Rwanda Institute of Conservation Agriculture [RICA], University of Rwanda [Musanze and Kigali, Campuses], Coventry University Africa-Hub, Institute of Higher Education [INES], Rwanda Agriculture Board, Rwanda Food and Drug Agency, and the Rwanda Development Board. The team made presentations about the project and discussed collaborating on developing research, teaching, and outreach projects, grantsmanships, organizing workshops and conferences to address various agricultural challenge areas. The Principal [Dr. Guillaume Nyagatare]College of Agriculture & Veterinary Medicine , University of Rwanda provided an overview of the BS, MS, and PhD programs and proposed collaborations on technical staff training on grants writing and access to funding, instrumentations, research.We proposed drafting an MOU with Institute of Higher Education [INES], We discussed collaborations on various aspects that will support establishinga Center of Excellence for Food Nutrition. Dr. Lamin Kassama gave a workshop on food processing. We met with the Capacity Building program Officer at the Rwanda Development Board [RDB]. RDB is the gateway to developments in Rwanda. The organization is mostly focused on investments in Rwanda across all sectors to create jobs. We are exploring the possibilities of US and Rwanda students and faculty pursuing agricultural exchanges/intenships at US and Rwandan institutions. The Rwanda Institute of Conservation Agriculture [RICA] is an institution for future visits by US students and faculty to engage scientists and students. Rwandan students have been connected with US institutions. Alabama A&M University is host to a Fulbright In-Residence Scholar [Dr. Marie Chantal Mutimawurugo] of the University of Rwanda's College of Agriculture.The scholar has established partnership opportunities with faculty and students in agricultural and related fields, developed joint research and teaching activities, co-supervisingstudents' research activities; assisting in developing and expanding research networks within East Africa; sharingher research endeavors, and promotingher institutionthrough seminars and workshops, engagingwith local the community, and sharingher culture, farming and agricultural practices, and food systems in Rwanda.
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