1st Cohort AWOLA Team

Dr. Sarah A., H. Olembo

Dr. Sarah A., H. Olembo is a highly motivated Kenyan woman in the area of agriculture, and focussing on uplifting women and their contributions to food and nutritional security, household food security, the environment, soils and ecosystems services in general. She leads task force on seeds, a taskforce that has emerged into a Farmer managed seed systems cluster within the African and Biotechnology Platform (ASBP) driven by the African Union Commission. As a member of the Steering Committee of ASBP, and cluster leader she hopes to open policy space for women in matters in seed policies and in Agriecology in general.

Prior to this, Dr. Olembo spent 17 years of her working life within the African Union Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture where for 10 years she served as the Assistant Director of the plant health and phytosanitary program based in Yaounde, Cameroon. A major achievement credited to her is First Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) from the FAO for the Inter-African Phytosanitary Council-IAPSC.

This project that was implemented until 2006 has saw over 300 participants from 41 African countries both from English as well as French speaking countries get training on information exchange on the International phyto-sanitary portal of the FAO. The International Phytosanitary Portal is the global portal through which phyto-sanitary exchange of information is disseminated to facilitate trade. Following this training, more African countries understood the International Plant Protection Convention (the IPPC) and up to 10 more countries became contracting parties to the IPPC. As contracting parties, they become eligible to serve on the several IPPC committees including standards setting, and can also benefit from technical cooperation projects to implement standards for agricultural health and food safety.

In 2006, She was transferred to the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa to serve as the technical adviser to the commissioner in areas of food safety. Additionally, Dr.Olembo was the focal point in the EU funded program in organic agriculture. She is credited with others in driving the AU Heads of State Decision on Ecological and organic agriculture and organic seeds. Her recent participation as a member of the organising committee of the Indigenous Seeds and Kenyan Food Cultural Fair Oct 12-14th 2022 where she was a keynote speaker on “Women of the Seed Harvest, has been applauded by many.

Dr. Olembo’s work in agriculture is her commitment to the empowerment of women who perform the bulk of agricultural work but are poorly compensated for their labour and poorly represented in policy making. She continues to pursue this line as member in the continental and regional steering Committee of the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative of the African Union.

Follow me on linkedin Dr.Sarah Olembo-agriculture, food security, organic farming, pest management, phyosanitary controls, agroecology policy, risk management , farmer managed seeds systems, women of the seed harvest.

Esther Jepkogei Bett is working for RODI Kenya as the Executive Director.

Ms. Esther Jepkogei Bett joined RODI Kenya 18 years ago as the Programme Coordinator/ Deputy Director in October 2004 and was promoted to Programme Manager/Deputy Director in 2014. Since 5^th March 2021, Ms. Esther Bett has been the acting Executive Director until her confirmation as Executive Director in August 2021.

She has a master’s degree in Community Care and HIV, a graduate certificate in Leadership and Peace Building, and a diploma in Agriculture and Home Economics. She has participated in many short training in Agro agriculture, rural development, policy and advocacy, project cycle management, documentation & communication, gender, HIV &AIDS, WASH, and legal aid. She has worked in the public sector (5 years) and NGO world (30 years).

She has a rich experience in working, training, and practice on permaculture, natural resource management (NRM), and tea farming. She has done much work on Restorative Justice, Trauma healing, and peace-building with communities, schools, and prisoners. She has trained and mentored RODI Kenya staff and community leaders on the above topics. She mentored two women under the women’s peacebuilding and leadership training at the Eastern Mennonite University in USA, Virginia. When she visits the 22 schools and 25 prisons working with RODI Kenya, She gives motivational speeches in the schools and prisons.

In her line of duty, she has been actively involved in advocacy work at the national and local levels, especially on the Make Trade Fair – BIG NOISE, where she led the team in RODI Kenya in 2005 with funding from OXFAM GB to work with schools to produce drama, poetry and role play with messages on making trade fair. She was also instrumental in Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAS), where they created awareness among farming communities in Kenya through workshops, demonstrations, messages to policy makers, and TV and radio programmes. She is a member of the Kenya Bio-diversity Task force committee that leads the anti- GMO campaigns in Kenya, among others. She is currently active in the Toxic pesticide campaign against harmful pesticides in Kenya. They have petitioned the Kenya Parliament to stop the importation of toxic pesticides in Kenya to ensure safe food production and protect the small-scale farmer from poisoning themselves and the environment.

She is an active small-scale farmer in Nandi on tea and Using Gishu, farming dairy, maize, and fodder. She has also done a lot of agroforestry and beekeeping on her farm in Using Gishu. She has been able to train her farm workers and people in small scale farmers groups in her home areas of Using Gishu and Nandi counties to make biofertilizer and fermented fertilizers that have helped improve and heal the soils and also save the farmers from buying chemical fertilizers whose cost went up by 200% in 2022. She advocates for keeping food production and believe farmers can do it and heal their soils. Seed saving and storage are also suitable for food sovereignty.

Through her knowledge and leadership skills, she has been elected and appointed to sit on boards and task force committees at the national and regional networks, as,

• National Treasurer for Kenya Organic Agriculture Network- (KOAN)
• Advisory committee Member Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)
• Member of the African continental committee, African Organic Network (AfrONet)
• Member of Kenya Bio-diversity Coalition(Anti-GMO) Taskforce committee (KBIOC/BIBA)
• Member of Regional Steering Committee for Eastern Africa for EOA
• Member of Committee on the OTEA project in East Africa IFOAM
• Chair of the Board of Management, Kipkenyo Secondary School, Eldoret.
• Board member of Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme. (SCOPE Kenya)

She wants to take this role to share the vast knowledge and skills she has gained and the experiences she has gone through. This will help other young people to learn from her.  It would also be good if we were supported and mentored to write books in this group so that what we can reach more people. As we retire and age, we go home with many experiences.

She has excellent communication and listening skills and something to offer young people.

Am married and a mother

I work as an Organic agriculture professional

Assignments: Director, Trainer, Extension, Training:

Agro ecological Agriculture from Uganda Martyrs

Organic Farming from the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network

Bio intensive Agriculture from circle of the sun OHIO – USA

Project management from Kenya Institute of Management

Primary teacher from St Mary Teacher College

I am the Founder of Community Sustainable Agriculture and Heal Environmental Programme (CSHEP)

I’ve worked in the organic agriculture sector for over 15 years.

I have experience on organic standards and certification e.g. Global Gap Standards, Participatory Guarantee system (PGS), Rainforest alliance, Fairtrade, organic standard (EU, NOP, JAS), ISO 9001&2008.

I conducted organic audit to various companies in Kenya that export organic products.

Am a trained trainer in PGS systems by IFOAM

I promote organic farmers market

I have preserve, train, and multiply African Indigenous seeds management, multiplication and

Am also a Master trainer with Knowledge Hub of East Africa (KHEA) in Kenya

Am the chair of country knowledge validation committee of KCOA Project

Am a mentee of Awola Project

Education

MBA- International Business Management, Organic Farming strategies, Global GAP Farming techniques, Monitoring and Evaluation, Governance and Management, Community and Sustainable development, Agroecology

Over thirty years experience in the Public, Priva,te and, Entrepreneurship sectors

1. Organic and Global Gap Certified Farmer
2. Monitoring and Evaluation of Technical Expert
3. Strategy and Planning
4. Trainer of Trainers

Youth and Women Empowerment leader, Mentee, and Coach

Real leaders strive to make a difference and are always willing to sacrifice and inspire others to do something. When new ideas are introduced, most people sometimes resist, fearing losing the little available resources or out of ignorance.  Other people like being glued in their comfort zones where they are used to not much struggle and live, as usual, year in and year out. I have overcome the comfort zone syndrome to make a significant change to the community through community-led projects, establishing Kitui Development Centre and Kitui Enterprise Promotion, and taking leadership positions.

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS.

• In 2001, I facilitated the establishment of the Kitui Development Centre (KDC), and I have seen it grow to a reputable local organization in the lower eastern
• In 2012, I facilitated the registration of Kitui Enterprise Promotion (a community Private Company) processing Mango products.
• 2015 registered desert green company ltd (a private company promoting agro-ecology)

Leadership

• CHAIR PERSON – KITUI LOCAL URBAN FORUM
• PROGRAM ADVISORY BOD – INADES Formation- Kenya
• BOM member – Muslim secondary school
• Technical advisory BOD – Participatory land use management (PELUM-Kenya)
• BOM –central primary school for visually impaired

AWARDS / RECOGNITION

• Distinguished leadership Award – I change nations (2021)
• Rehma church wikililye- silver cup on community support and development- 2006

Building a community institution has never been easy and requires determination; one experiences many challenges. Once you meet those challenges, it’s always good to tell yourself that you must survive. YES, I CAN. Develop a strong attitude, believe in yourself and do not go mad or crazy. Don’t break down under pressure since you must survive. People are waiting for you to fall, and the ideas are picked very first, changing the motive. Most people are not ready to struggle; they are opportunists prepared to copy and paste your concept or run with it very first as a stolen vehicle.

When things are tough, remember that whatever you complain about will die while what you thank GOD for receives life. This has been my MOTO.

Education

Diploma in Agroecology Agriculture (BIOINTENSIVE)

Certificate in Ecology Action

Others

Community development, research, livestock production, human nutrition, leadership, crop production

Work experience

Head of programs at GBIACK (youth empowerment, center training, center development, and community outreach trainings). Trainer for five years in agroecological practices that focus on restoring livelihood and building resilience through implementation associated with anthropogenic activities through promoting environmentally friendly models.

PROFESSIONALISM

CPA (K)   (referred to CPA section 5)

Diploma in business Administration

OTHER TRAINING

Trained on agro-ecological practices at Baraka Agriculture college

WORK EXPERIENCE

Finance and administrative manager at Rural Initiatives Development Programme (RIDEP): Managing the three cost centers; RIDEP as the Organization, RIDEP’S Agro-ecological training center (conference facility ), and RIDEP s dryland Agro-ecological demonstration farm. I have over nine years of experience working in the same position.

I also acted as the Programme Coordinator at RIDEP for one year.

Salome is a Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Practitioner with specific interest in Food Systems. She has spent the past ten years of her professional life mainstreaming gender in policy and programs. She has experience in advocacy, program coordination, training, research and fundraiser.

Salome is the Climate Change Program Manager at Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE). Salome holds bachelor degree in Gender, Women and Development Studies and has completed her masters in Gender and Development Studies. She has short trainings in programme management, environmental management and analysis. Salome is passionate about Gender Equality and Equity. She believes that Food Security contributes to Gender Equality and Equity, and that Agroecology is one of the main solutions to Food Insecurity.

My name is Sylvia Kuria, and I am a certified organic farmer from Kenya with more than ten years of experience. I started growing food for my family in a kitchen garden and soon realized that many mothers like me wanted to grow and consume safe, nutritious food for their families. In 2016 Sylvia’s Basket was quickly born, and I started delivering vegetable baskets from my farm to 5 friends in the city.  In November 2019, I opened my Organic Farm Shop in Nairobi to make organic food accessible and affordable and provide small-scale farmers with a reliable market for their produce. Our business has since grown, delivering more than 100 baskets weekly and keeping our vision alive to promote affordable organic food, as safe food is a fundamental human right. I have also trained more than 1000 farmers in Kenya and Africa. A graduate of the IFOAM Organic Leadership Course, I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Community Development with a Psychology Minor. I have advocated for organic farming in Kenya, Africa, and beyond in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, India, Uganda, and Tanzania. I am passionate about food security and entrepreneurship on the African continent. I am one of the 40 Kenyans participating in the African Food fellowship Food systems Leadership program hosted by Wageningen university.

Venter Mwongera (Kenya) is an award-winning journalist in Science Communication. She is currently handling the Communication and Advocacy functions of the African Biodiversity Network (ABN) and serves on various boards of media networks worldwide.

She began her science communication career more than 15 years ago. From 2008 until 2020, she worked at Internews as a Journalism Trainer, primarily building the capacity of practicing journalists on conflict-sensitive reporting. She joined the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT), to head the global Secretariat to implement, communicate and advocate for programmes on Climate Change, Gender Mainstreaming and Journalists’ Rights, among other areas of focus. She spent many years at IAWRT leading the teams to tell the programmes’ stories through documentaries, radio, newspapers and digital platforms in 76 countries, five continents. After serving her full term, she moved on to Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT), at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), where she was the Chief Editor of The Organic Farmer (TOF) and Mkulima Mbunifu (MkM) magazines, besides managing the two broad projects distributed in EA countries. She led the teams in Kenya and Tanzania to implement the projects and win awards of excellence in communicating ecologically sustainable agricultural farming methods in Africa.

Previously, Venter consulted for Deutsche Well (DW), Reuters, SciDev, Sub-Sahara Africa News Services, the Star Newspaper and Kenya’s National Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), where she began her career. Her beats were Technology, Human Rights, Ecologically Sustainable Agriculture, Climate Change, Gender Based Violence and Chest Health. Over her years telling science stories and advocating for journalists’ rights, her work took her from missing a missile in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Kuwait, Sudan and Morocco during the Arab spring to taking a kayak trip through the secluded backwaters of the Mississippi River for adventure after days of diving deep into the history of human rights activism archived in the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals on communicating ecologically sustainable agriculture.

She holds a Master of Science Communication, a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication. She is awaiting graduation with a Master of Art in Digital Journalism. She studied at universities such as Kenya Methodist (KeMU), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Graduate School of Media and Communication at Aga Khan University (GSMC-AKU), AMREF International, where she extensively researched M&E approaches, program design, and implementation and Creative Centre of Leadership (CCL) in UK where she extensively researched on leadership approaches.

She has attended many professional courses by the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN), International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT), Swiss Water Association (SWA), International Journalists Network (IJNet) and Knight Centre for the Journalism University of Texas at Austin. She is among the Directors of Ololeshwa Community Outreach, Osupuko Association, TreeKenya Programme Advisor funded by Keystone Legacy, UK; she is among the mentors of African Women Leaders in Agroecology Initiative (AWOLA), the Chairperson of National and International Engagements at ISFAA and a Co-Founder of Dissemination of Agricultural News in Africa. Her hobbies are mountaineering, playing rubrics and Kundalini yoga. Venter is the mother of Mukami and Mwongera Jr.

A Certified Public Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and Accounting based in Nairobi, Kenya. Has over 15 years of experience in financial management. Possess a deep understanding of financial principles and a comprehensive knowledge of industry best practices.

An accomplished people developer who is passionate about development, teaching high-impact individuals and teams how to achieve unprecedented, lasting results in their personal and professional lives. Pursuing, Leadership and Management Course at Christ is the Answer Ministry.

Demonstrated ability to deliver exceptional results and provide valuable insights to support business decision-making. Excel in analysing data, generating accurate, timely reports that facilitate strategic planning, development of long-term financial plans and forecasts. Her expertise in cost savings and process improvement has consistently driven operational efficiency and profitability for organisations she has worked with. One of her key strengths is proficiency in compliance and ensuring adherence to organizational and donor guidelines and standards. She has successfully participated in budget development for fundraising proposals, monitored financial review processes, provided continuous financial monitoring and training to sub-grantees. Through these efforts, she has contributed to improved financial management systems and resource allocation.

In her current role as a Senior Finance Officer at Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) in Kenya, she has achieved notable accolades, including; being recognised as the Employee of the Year in 2020, being voted the most honest and transparent staff member in 2019.She has also played a crucial role in drafting the sub-grant manual and increasing the organisation’s resource base through budget proposals. Additionally, she has extensive experience in project accounting, having successfully implemented the European Union Project in Mukuru slums, Kenya.
She is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), serve on the Board Finance Sub-committee of PELUM Kenya and act as a mentor in the Africa Women Leaders in Africa (AWOLA).