Malawian 35, Bags Home Young Inovators Award
A 35 year old Malawian working in banana seeds multiplication using local technologies, Tizgowere Msiska has been awarded by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity in Agriculture (RUFORUM)
RUFORUM which is a network of 161 Universities from 40 African countries with its secretariat in Kampala, Uganda, and Malawi through Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) being a member, recognized the research and technology the youthful Msiska achieved using local technologies.
In an interview with the Malawi Daily Telegraph Msiska confirmed that RUFORUM communicated that he was among the 20 young innovators selected from across the continent (Africa) to receive the awards in Harare, Zimbabwe on Saturday, 17 December 2022.
“Despite failing to make it to Harare physically to receive the award during the RUFORUM AGM 2022, I still feel honored to have beaten over 130 applicants and made it in the top 20, which I dedicate to Flame Tree Initiative (FTI) for the enormous knowledge imparted in us. It’s one thing to have an innovation, it’s a different thing to craft a winning application,” Msiska said.
Commenting on the country’s hunger situation registered in some districts of Malawi, Msiska expressed an urgent need for government to prioritizing other staple food crops which have the potential to help in alleviating food challenges.
“Government should prioritize distributing banana seeds to both subsistence and commercial farmers, unlike paying moderate attention to many food crops so far. Further, I would love to see more yoing Malawians taking part in agricultural initiatives hence increasing their chances of winning the Young African Innovators Award,” he added.
Speaking during this year’s RUFORUM’s Annual General Meeting in Harare the Board Chairperson, Professor Theresia Akenji-Nkuo said the forum would continue to significantly serve African countries through agricultural research while calling on all stakeholders to make use of Universities to achieve sustainable development.
Recently, President Dr. Lazarus Macarthy Chakwera had an audience with RUFORUM delegation at Kamuzu palace in Lilongwe where among others he also launched a book which have successful stories on agriculture education. There the organisation announced that it would establish a center in Malawi to serve as a regional hub for its members under SADC regional block.
In his remarks, Dr Chakwera said Agriculture education is critical towards attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Malawi 2063, which are the basis for meaningful poverty alleviation.
“Let me call for collaboration and cooperation among African universities in developing solutions for African needs. On the launched book, let me called upon Africans to learn from it and get inspired as it provides different learning opportunities,” Chakwera said.
Despite numerous efforts to revamp banana farming at all levels in the agriculture sector, the country continues relying on imported banana from neighbouring Tanzania, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, though the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima still remains hopeful that Malawian farmers have the ability to reclaim the market and produce more even for export.
