Boosting Agricultural Studies in Sub-Sahara (BASIS) Project funded by the European Union through Erasmus+ _CHBE has supported MMU Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Sciences with equipment in relation to project funding.
The equipment received includes 4 laptops, a Printer, 16 computer software, Global Position Systems (GPSs) gadgets, Digital Camera (Model Nikon 7500) among many others.
The 3-year project that started in 2023 and is meant to close in 2025 was established with two specific objectives as enlisted by Associate Prof. Violet Kisakye, the MMU Project Coordinator: To reshape the student practice and shift it from teaching competence-based practice work, and introduce farm placements to ensure better student employability; and To build capabilities and strengthen policies of Partner HEIs to promote social inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility of agricultural education.
Project Background:
According to numerous authors, agriculture, and farming are a major source of livelihood in the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), contributing between 15 % and 40 % of the gross domestic product, providing livelihood for over 70% of SSA population through family farming and employing at least 34% of the active workforce with its potential heavily underexploited. One of the reasons are poor connections between tertiary education as the knowledge base and immediate agricultural producers (farms). Furthermore, according to various authors, gender is an important factor in understanding every aspect of agricultural and rural development in SSA. Women are essential to agricultural production but they lack adequate access to land and inputs, they tend to be excluded from decision-making and have less chances of accessing tertiary education, along with so many poverty-stricken individuals coming from remote areas. BASIS addresses the aforementioned issues by introducing interventions in higher education curricula towards a more field-based and competence-oriented knowledge and skills highly valued at the labour market. This will establish lasting and systemic exchange between the tertiary education and smallholder farmers in SSA. Likewise, BASIS introduces mechanisms and measures to increase access to tertiary education for women and poverty-stricken individuals from remote areas, and provide them with more equitable chances of employment and growth. Project outcomes will create opportunities for further innovation and modernization of higher education and agricultural production in SSA, equipping higher education institutions, their staff and students with different social and economic background, as well as smallholders in remote rural areas with essential mechanisms for sustainable advancement and growth.
For more details, please contact Assoc. Prof. Violet Kisakye (MMU project Coordinator) on kviolet@mmu.ac.ug.