Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has joined forces with Girl Child Network and Alabaster International to spearhead research on Enset cultivation.
The CEO of Girl Child Network, Mercy Musomi, and CEO of Alabaster International, Dr. Shannon Rubera, on Monday, July 8, 2024 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi to discuss the ongoing collaborative research project on Enset Cultivation, Development, and Utilization.
The research collaboration, which also involves Arba Minch University (AMU) in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI), aims to increase understanding and application of Enset, a crucial crop in Ethiopian agriculture.
The project, which has been initiated through JKUAT’s Institute of Biotechnology Research (IBR), led by researchers Dr. Slyvester Anami and Dr. Grace Mungai, will see the development of a novel tissue culture protocol for cultivated Enset varieties and re-sequencing of Kenyan wild Enset populations.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Ngumi revealed that Alabaster International, in partnership with the Girl Child Network, are driving fundraising efforts to assist research activities across all phases of the joint research agreement.
“The partners in this project aspire to harness their various expertise, skills, experiences, and institutional resources to meet the objective of encouraging and engaging in ENSET research, cultivation, processing, and utilization,” said Prof Ngumi.
While emphasizing the necessity of formalizing the collaboration, the Vice Chancellor stated that the research project team has produced a collaborative research agreement, which has already been approved by the Directorate of University Linkages and the Legal Office and was signed in 2023.
Prof. Ngumi also lauded the collaborative effort by all the stakeholders in making the project a reality noting the introduction of the Enset plant in Kenya could prove pivotal in the fight against climate change significantly boost the country’s food security.
Ms. Musomi said that the plant’s introduction to the country would be an important step in supporting the country’s initiative of safeguarding its food basket.
“As Girl Child network we support initiatives that seek to address these challenges encountered by the girl child in Kenya through our grant making efforts and by working with other partners who are passionate about these issues that seek to give the girl child an equal chance to compete and lead a fulfilled life,” said Ms. Musomi.
Dr. Rubera stated that her institution is keen to work closely with local authorities to identify isolated and under-resourced indigenous women’s communities and give the necessary support through joint empowerment projects.
“Through this initiative we believe we can collaborate with our local partners to guide us to these communities to partner with women to make long-lasting change together one community at a time,” said Dr. Rubera.
