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ICRAF Eastern Africa (EA) Region: • Socialmedia,thewaytogo• EasternAfricastaffplanningmeeting• AdministratorsrefreshertrainingEthiopia:• ParticipatorytrialsdesignworkshopinEthiopiaKenya:• EvergreenAgricultureandStrengtheningRuralInstitutions(SRI)representedattheEastAfricanFarmerInnovationFair• IGAD’scapacitybuildingworkshopheldatICRAFHeadquartersRwanda:• PhaseIIfundingforLakeKivuPilotLearningSitesProject

Highlights:

Volume 4: August 2013

DearReaders,thisisthefourthissueofICRAFEasternAfrica’se-Newsletter,TheLink,whichshareswithyoushortarticles,events,publicationsandotherexcitingnewsfromtheregion.Inthisissue,mostofthearticlesfeaturevariousmeetingsandseminarsconductedacrosstheregionasdepictedinthecontentsbelow:

Message from the editorial team

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Social media, the way to go

Social Media can play a significant role in thedynamicstateofaffairsthatisaneconomyaswellasinindividual’slives.

By January 2013 for instance, records show thatFacebook attained a membership of 1 billionpeople as compared to YouTubeof 800million,Google+ of 345 million, Twitter of 200 million,LinkedIn of 200million and Flickr of 75million.ICRAFthusalreadyutilizesTwitter,FacebookandYouTubetoreachouttoandcommunicatewithitsonlinevisitors.

Inacknowledgementofthisenormousandgrowinguseofsocialmedia,theEAcommunicationsteamorganizedaseminartodiscusshowscientistscantake advantage and positively use social mediato contribute towards livelihoods and landscapetransformations.

On the 24th ofMay 2013, AlexOduor andMayMuthuri organized ICRAF EA’s first seminar onsocial media in ICRAF’s main campus researchbuilding. The seminar was attended physicallybyEAstaffatICRAF’sHQaswellasregionalstaffthroughonlinelinks.

Discussionswereheldonthetechniquesforusingsocial media in scientific research. The seminaralsoofferedstafftheopportunitymakeinformedchoiceswhenusingthevarioussocialmediasites.

Caroline Gathoni of the Partnerships Unitacknowledgedthe fact thatscientific researcherscannotoverlooksocialmedia’sroleintransformingvariousprofessions.She singled out ResearchGate as the mostbeneficialsocialmediatoolforresearchers.

Daisy Ouya of the Communication Unit wentfurther to highlight on the benefits from socialmediabyexplainingtheiruses.

She explained that socialmedia sites comewithinstitutional and organizational benefits. “Asindividuals,wecanusethesitestocommunicatewithourfriendsorfamily.ButasICRAFstaffwecanutilizethesitestocommunicateresearchfindings,buildpartnerships,advocacy,imagemanagementamongothers”,shestated.

By Danyell Odhiambo and May Muthuri

EA REGION

Daisy Ouya takes participants through training on Social media

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The EA Region conducted a three-day annualstaff-planningmeetingattheICRAFHeadquartersfrom the 10th to the 12th February 2013. Themeeting was attended by staff members fromKenya,Uganda,Tanzania,RwandaandEthiopia.

Representatives from each Science Domain, theHumanResourceUnit,CapacityDevelopmentUnit,Financial Services Unit, ICT, Research MethodsGroup,CommunicationsUnitandtheProgrammeDevelopment Unit each gave a presentation onlinkages between their Units, Science Domains,theCRPsandRegionalprograms.

As part of his welcoming remarks, Dr. Mowopresentedageneraloverviewandupdateontheprogress of the region’s activities and how theycomplementICRAFgoals.

Together with Dr. Ofori and Dr. Muriuki, theregion’s refreshed strategy as well as businessplanandkeychallengeswerepresentedforgroupdiscussions.Issues thrashed out included the following:opportunities for agroforestry practices in EA;conducive areas to work in; drivers of land usechange that affect communities in EA; impactpathways; resources required; partners to liaisewithandafiveyearvisiononthesuccessindicators,milestones,gender,equityandsustainability.

Theseissuesformedthecoreofthemeeting.ThismeetingwasclosedwithapartinginputfromICRAF’sDeputyDirectorofPartnerships,ProfessorTemu,whopointedouttheneedtobuildbridgesratherthanbarriersinordertofulfillthegoalssetbythescientificfraternity.

Eastern Africa Region Annual Planning Meeting

By May Muthuri

EA REGION

Participants pose for a group photo

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TheRefresherTraining for EasternandSouthernAfricaAdministratorswasheldbetweenthe24thand 28th of June at the Lundgren Auditorium,ICRAFCampus.

Thetrainingwasgearedtowardsequippingstaffwith the required skills for enhancing servicedeliveryintheregion.

While opening the meeting, the EA RegionalCoordinator, Dr. Mowo, challenged participantsto support the implementation of the refreshedstrategyandfurthernotedtheimportanceoftherefresher training inmonitoring the progress ofprogramsandpolicies.

On her part, the Regional Administrator, Ms.Rose Onyango, took participants through afamiliarization of administrative structure of theEasternAfricaRegionandwentfurthertodiscussthe pivotal role of teamwork in the efforts toachieveICRAF'sMissionandVision.

Godfrey Chisusu from Malawi, made acomprehensive presentation of the SouthernAfricaadministrativestructure.NancyOsekofromthe finance department took the participantsthroughanintroductionoffinancialstructuresintheregion.

Later, Pauline Ahero, engaged the audiencein an interactive discussion on budget codesmanagementandtheroleofbudgetholders.Theworkshopgaveanoverallviewoftheexpectationand requirements of the administrators withcomprehensive and educative presentations andinteractions.

The training came to a close on 28th Junewiththe country representatives getting a chanceto interactwithnewandold staff in the variousdepartmentsattheheadquarter.

By Miriam Mundia

Administrators’ refresher trainingEA REGION

Jimmy Kiio engages participants during his presentation

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GiventheinadequatecapacityinWaterResourcesManagement (WRM) within the Eastern Africaregion, the Intergovernmental Authority onDevelopment (IGAD), requested ICRAF to host acapacitybuildingworkshop.

On28thFebruary2013,variousstakeholdersintheWRMfromdifferentlocationsinKenyaassembledatICRAFNairobitoshareoninstitutionalstrengthsandgapsininthissubjectarea.

The workshop was part of efforts by IGADto support in building effective and efficientcapacities inwater resourcesmanagement in itsgeographicalcoverarea.

Agreeably,thewatersectorintheIGADcountrieshas now become a complex interplay of manydifferent forces. Not only is water responsiblefor major socio-economic changes and driverforeconomicdevelopment,ithasinrecenttimesbecomeinstrumentalforsocio-politicalstressandakeyfactorforenvironmentalprotection.

It is therefore of utmost importance thatfor valuable and proficient water resourcesmanagement, all stakeholders should come totermsonitsmanagementconcerns.This is possible through effective knowledgesharingandcapacitybuildingofall stakeholdersalongwithdevelopmentofsupportinginstitutionalmechanisms.

Thegatheringsharedonresultsofastudyonwaterresources management institutions at nationaland trans-boundary levels in termsof strengths,weaknesses,opportunitiesandthreats.

Thelessonsoftheexercisepointatyawninggapsincapacitiesintheinstitutionsthatcanbefilled.Thestudy report provides recommendations; overall,pointingatneedforconcertedeffortsinprovidingcapacitiesatlocal,regionaland,nationallevelstoablyandvaluablymanagewaterresources.

The IGADoffice used theworkshop to expoundon its roles, responsibilities and aspirations inregard towater resources governance. It invitedstakeholderstoapplyforsupportfromtheofficeoncecallsarerequestedforinstitutionalcapacitybuildingintheirmilieu.

By Alex Oduor

IGAD capacity building workshop held at ICRAF HQ.

KENYA

Participants keenly follow a sesssion of the workshop

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Agricultural innovation is a key pillar whendeveloping strategies that would alleviate foodsecurity crisis that has persistently burdenedemergingeconomies.Farmersstillgrapplewithamyriadofchallengesastheystruggletosolvethetwin puzzles of increasing food production andfarmincome.

In a bid to discuss this challenges, scores offarmers, researchers, students and governmentofficials drawn from Kenya, Uganda, TanzaniaandEthiopiaconvergedattheKenyaAgriculturalResearchInstitute'sKabetecampusinNairobiforatwo-dayEastAfricaFarmerInnovationFair(EAFIF)thatopenedon28thMay,2013.

ICRAF was represented by Staff from theEvergreen Agriculture and the StrengtheningRural Institutions (SRI) projects. The teamutilized theopportunity to interactwith relevantfarmer innovatorsand institutionswhile learningcontemporaryapplicationsofAgroforestry.

Dr. Bell Okello, an agricultural and ruraldevelopment specialist from Prolinnova Kenyareiterated that there has been a belief thattechnological innovationscanonlybegeneratedinresearchinstitutesbyscientists.Onthecontrary,henotedthatfarmersarecontinuetotryoutnewinnovations or improve on the existing ones bymaking them practical and adaptable to theirneedsandcircumstances.

For instance,SimonMusila,acereal farmer fromKalama division Machakos County raises fingermillet in nurseries before transplanting them tohis farmduring theonset of a rainy season.Thisway,he takesadvantageofnitrogenflushwhichpromotes crop growth and eventually increasesharvest.

Musilahasextendedthisconservationagriculturetechnique to other self help women groupssupported by ICRAF and the Kenya Networkfor Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies(KENDAT).

These groups include Ngomeni, Ikonge andKyavyalu. Gerald Kibugi, a software developerparticipated in the fair to demonstrate themissinglinkbetweeninformationtechnologyandagriculture.

Hehascreatedaninformationsharingapplicationdubbed‘GreenHouseDoityourself(DIYsoftware)which, he says, can guide farmers interested ingreenhouse farmingtomonitor theprogressoftheir cropswithout theneed for consultingwithextensionofficers.

Kenya is the largest producer of Avocado fruitsin Africa and one farmer is not taking this forgranted.JackRware,anorganicfarmerfromEmbuCountyinKenyahasadoptedgraftingasawayofimproving the locally available avocado species.This initiative has led to the development of aunique variety which he proudly nicknamed the‘JackII’

The fair attracted local and internationalorganizations dealing in agricultural researchand innovationswhich included;PracticalAction,Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security,WorldNeighbors,USAID-KenyaandAgriProFocus,amongothers.

By Danyell Odhiambo and May Muthuri

Evergreen Agriculture and Strengthening Rural Institutions projects represented at the regional farmer innovation fdair

KENYA

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The hands-on Participatory Trials DesignWorkshopwasheld inAdama,Ethiopiafromthe15thtothe19April2013ledbyICRAF’sLandandSoilManagementScientist,Dr. EdmundoBarriosandaPrincipalScientistofResearchMethods,Dr.RichardCoe.

The workshop started with highlights of theInPaC-Sparticipatory tools for the integrationoflocalandtechnicalknowledge.Thesewereusedtoidentifyexistingsoilsconstraints.

Thiswaslinkedtodiscussionsoftheagroecologyand soil management principles for addressingsuch constraints through soil integrated fertilitymanagement(ISFM)options.

TheISFMoptionsrelevanttothecontextandhowthey could be locally adapted determined thetrials to be design. The workshop continued bydevelopingdetailedprotocolsforthesetrials.

AtotaloftwentyseventraineesparticipatedinthecapacitybuildingworkshopincludingstafffromtheEthiopianInstituteofAgriculturalResearch(EIAR),Ministry of Agriculture, extension, Universities,localgovernmentandNGOs.

MelkassaResearchStationcoordinatedtheactivityand 30 farmers from theAdulala village broughthelocalknowledge.

By Hadgu Kiros

Focal Points Persons Workshop on Participatory Trials Design

ETHIOPIA

Jack Rware explains to ICRAF staff his avocado grafting innovation

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TheLakeKivuPilotLearningSites(LKPLS)project,beingimplementedinUganda,RwandaandDRC,hasreceivedfundingfora2-yearsecondphase.

The LKPLS project is lead by CIAT working withseveralpartnersincludingICRAFUganda,NationalAgricultural Research Organisation in Uganda(NARO), Makerere University, Biomass, Huntexindustries, Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB),MECREGO and ICRISAT as well as a number oflocalgovernmentsandfarmerorganisations.

This project works through the innovationplatforms (IPs) approach. It seeks to prove theIAR4D concept and develop a framework forinstitutionalizationofIAR4DinAfricansystemsbydevelopingmethodologiesandmodelsforscalinguptheimpactofIntegratedAgriculturalresearchfor development using the Innovation platformapproach.

Theproject is fundedbyForum forAgriculturalResearchinAfrica(FARA)Between7thMayand11thMay2013,theLKPSprojectpartnersheldaninteraction and planning meeting at BeausejourHotelinKigali.TheobjectivesofthemeetingweretoreceivefeedbackfromProjectpartnersonthestatusoftheInnovationPlatformsandtodevelopsitelevelworkplansfor2013withintheLakeKivupilotlearningsites.

ThemeetingwasofficiallyopenedbyJ.JMbonigaba,theDirectorGeneralofRwandaAgriculturalBoardwho highlighted in his remarks highlighted onthe support given by the Rwanda Agriculturalboard(RAB)totheinnovationplatformsandtheinstitutionalarrangementwithintheRAB.

He welcomed the project and emphasized theneed to prove that this IAR4D concept worksandneedstobescaledtootherpartsofAfricaaswell developing a framework for scaling up and

By Rick Kamugisha

Lake Kivu Pilot Learning Sites (LKPLS) Project receives second phase of Funding.

“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

RWANDA

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Compiled and edited by: May Muthuri and Alex Oduor

Design/Layout: Danyell Odhiambo

Proof reading: Miriam Mundia

Distribution: Rose Kaggwa

E-mail: editorial-icraf-EA@cgiar.org

Website: www.worldagroforestry.org

Upcoming and just concluded events

New Publications

Drought has introduced extreme instability anduncertainty into the livesofTurkanapeopleandraisedtheirinherentvulnerabilitytounsustainablelevels.

Accordingtothe2012reportbytheKenyaFoodSecuritySteeringGroup,over49%oftheTurkanapopulationneededfoodassistancein2011.

Outof75ruraldistrictsinKenya,Turkanawasthethird highest in food poverty ranking in Kenya,withmorethan74percentofitspopulationlivingbelowthepovertyline.Thismagnitudeofpovertyhasoftenworsenedrecurrentdroughtsandtheirdevastatingimpactonallsectorsoftheeconomy.

TheoverallobjectiveoftheMasterplanisthustoidentifytheavailableresources,presentchallengesandpropose immediate,mediumand long-termprojectsandactivitiesthroughwhichfoodsecuritymaybeattained.Withagoodplan, theTurkanapeoplecanbehelpedtocarryoutmeaningfulfoodand non-food interventions to feed the countyandthecountryatlarge.

Alex Oduor, Maimbo Malesu and KiprutoCherogony all from the Water ManagementUnitat the timeofpublishing theTurkanaFood

Security Master Plan contributed specifically indeveloping the Water Resources chapter. Theywere complimented by Dr. Arjen de Vries whowroteasectiononGroundwatermanagement.andpropose immediate,mediumand long-termprojectsandactivitiesthroughwhichfoodsecuritymay be attained. This will help the Turkanapeoplecarryoutmeaningful foodandnon-foodinterventionstofeedthecountyandthecountryatlarge.Citation:OduorA.R.,KiprutoC.,MaimboM.M.,NyoleiD.&ArjendeVries.2012.Chapter6&7:WaterResources,InFoodSecurityMasterPlanforTurkanaCounty.Pp.90–108.DioceseofLodwar,P.O.Box101-30500,Lodwar,Kenya.

Food Security Master Plan for Turkana County

Science week: 9th to 13th September 2013.