Meet the Voices on the Global YPARD Café in Rwanda

YPARD Rwanda Chapter is thrilled to welcome the youth of Rwanda, agriculture practitioners as well as all food security enthusiasts to join the Global YPARD Café. The event will bring together five guests panellists and youth champions of Agriculture in Rwanda to discuss and share challenges and opportunities arisen from the state of COVID-19 pandemic. This virtual event will take place on the 12th of December 2020 at 5:00 pm (Kigali time) .

To be held in partnership with Alliance for Science Rwanda, the café will run online via zoom meeting and live-streamed through social media. Guest panellists and the host will use an unconference format to share their experience as champions in Agriculture. It will also be an important opportunity to listen from youth perspectives towards agribusiness and the state implementation science amid the COVID19 pandemic .

The topic of the Café: Fresh Perspectives on the Future of Africa’s food security in midst of a pandemic like #COVID19 and a state of implementation science.

Coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted all forms of businesses after being the worst public health threat of our generation. During this café, young professionals in agriculture from Rwanda will discuss and share with the world how they are managing a pandemic and keeping the agri-food system viable. The café will also be meeting time to celebrate the Rwanda youth resilience in solving today and tomorrow’ food security challenge.

Among our guest panellists we have:

Gloria Mutuzo Rwiyereka

Miss Mutuzo is a holder of a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture Economics and Rural Development from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology/KENYA. She is also Co-founder of IWACU Modern Farm, an enterprise-focused in high value and exportable horticultural crops like chilli.

Skilled in agribusiness and leadership, Gloria has shown the steadfast in mentoring and being a role model to her peer young female farmers. In this role, she is joining the YPRAD Global Café sharing her experience and passion to YPARDinas.

Jean Damascene Tuyizere

Mr. Tuyizere holds a Bachelor degree in Crop Production from the University of Rwanda and a Masters' degree in Food Security and Community Nutrition from Gulu University, Uganda.

Jean Damascene has previously worked with international organizations such as CABI International, assistant lecturer and research assistant at Gulu University. At the Café, Jean Damascene will share his experience in the role of academia and research to support youth in agribusiness.

Erneste Ntakobangize

Erneste is a GIS specialist at Charis UAS (a Rwandan company specializing in the use of Drones for Agriculture) a farmer who owns GIHANE farm, and a holder of a Bachelor degree in Geography from the University of Rwanda. Currently doing a master in Geographical Information System for Environment and Sustainable Development.

Erneste believes that helping farmers to benefit from drones and the science behind GIS is a competitive advantage highly needed to meet the African food security. With his work he is helping to detect plants’ health for early decision making, to react to any plant stress and predict the upcoming yield.

Dioscore Shikama

Mr. SHIKAMA Dioscore is the founder of Go Ltd and former Head of ICT4Ag cluster at the Rwandan Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF). With a Bachelor of Science from the University of Rwanda, Dioscore has built a strong career with his tech company by using big data and IoT to professionalize the agric sector.

For updates on the events, join our Facebook Group pages and follow Twitter pages via the links below:

YPARD Rwanda: https://www.facebook.com/groups/189623046208514/?ref=share

YPARD Africa: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1825192764394753

Twitter pages: @ypardrwanda, @YpardAfrica

Hashtag: #GYC2020