By our staff reporter
The Ukama Ustawi initiative, part of the CGIAR Research Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa, recently organized the Ukama Ustawi Pause and Reflect workshop from 5-9 February 2023. The workshop took place at the ILRI Campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Bringing together regional partners, other CGIAR Initiatives, and CGIAR Country Convenors from East and Southern Africa, the event aimed to recapitulate the achievements of 2023 and plan for impactful initiatives in 2024.
The workshop featured interactive sessions designed to foster collaboration and cooperation among different WorkPackages, as well as with partners and the broader CGIAR community. The ultimate goal was to catalyze synergies that would benefit smallholder farmers in the region.
Nora Hanke-Louw, UU Project Coordinator and Deputy Country Representative of IWMI South Africa, emphasized the importance of collaboration in the African context, stating, “True to the Afrocentric cultural worldview, in the tapestry of life, threads of collaboration weave the most resilient fabric.” Ukama Ustawi aims to reconnect the “Community of Spirit” and the CGIAR community, with aspirations of making a positive impact in various countries, including Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Events like the Pause and Reflect workshop play a critical role in aligning strategic endeavors, reflecting on past accomplishments, and reaffirming their commitment to sharpening the initiative’s impact in 2024, particularly in achieving climate resilience in farming communities.
Ukama Ustawi is a new regional integrated initiative by CGIAR in Eastern and Southern Africa. A kick-off meeting was held in Nairobi on March 2-3, 2022, with the participation of various stakeholders, including national agricultural research extension programs, government representatives, private sector actors, funders, and national and regional agricultural research and development organizations.
The initiative, spanning three phases, aims to support climate-smart agriculture and livelihoods in 12 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. In Phase 1, the focus countries are Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. Phase 2 includes Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, while Phase 3 covers Eswatini, Madagascar, Mozambique, and South Africa. By providing improved extension services, strengthening institutional capacity, offering targeted farm management bundles, policy support, enterprise development, and private investment, the initiative aims to empower millions of smallholder farmers to intensify, diversify, and de-risk their maize-mixed farming practices.
