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A lifetime dedicated to protecting the marine environmentWriter: Janine SmitPhotography: Marine Oceanography Institute in Mauritius

Dr Kamla Pillay, a Director at the Marine Oceanography Institute in Mauritius, is focused on forming collaborative partnerships at national, regional and international levels to help her country and her institution to improve marine management policy and contribute to the blue economy.

The Institute is an important research facility in Mauritius and is strengthening its existing partnerships and fostering new collaborations with various national and international institutions. Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean, is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. It is vulnerable to climate change, especially with the rise of global warming. Tourism is an important contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and its coral reefs generate an estimated US$2.2 million annually.

National priorities for the ocean economy in Mauritius include

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Africa Newsletter

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seabed exploration for hydrocarbons and minerals, fishing, seafood and aquaculture, deep ocean water applications, marine services such as ship registry, marine finance, ICT and marine tourism; seaport-related activities, marine renewable energies and ocean knowledge.

Dr Pillay has developed an in-depth understanding of coral reefs, the genetics of corals, as well as their biodiversity and biostatistics, through the knowledge gained while studying for her Masters degree in Tropical Marine Ecology and Fisheries Biology at James Cook University in Australia,

After completing her studies in 2000, Dr Pillay returned to Mauritius where she worked on a project on coral reef farming and compiling an inventory of coral reef fauna. Collaborating with her colleagues, she took the lead role in the project; responsible for studying coral reefs, coral culture and reef rehabilitation. She initiated research projects that collected crucial data to support policy development. Her research on enhancing the visibility of coral reefs has been published and she has presented on the topic at international conferences.

Dr Pillay has made an immense contribution to reef management in Mauritius and the Indian Ocean. Her efforts have helped the Government of Mauritius to enact and implement relevant policy. Further, the study and management of coral reefs has benefited fishermen in Mauritius. Through safeguarding fish habitats, fish catches have increased, improving community livelihoods. Small reef areas have been rehabilitated, improving marine ecology.

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Dr Pillay’s work has helped create an awareness of the need to protect the environment. It has been promoted to the public through target groups, local communities, students and fishermen, and has helped to expedite their involvement through visibility studies.

Dr Pillay is also training other professionals in the inventory of coral reefs. Since the launch of the project, she has trained research assistants and associate research scientists in coral biology, ecology, taxonomy and molecular genetics, and has supervised university students researching coral reefs. Furthermore, she has contributed to skills transfer and knowledge management by training staff of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other institutions, has provided technical advice at inter-ministerial meetings, and collaborated with researchers from Kenya Wildlife Conservation and Sweden’s Soderton University.

Dr Pillay’s work in marine science has been highly recognised in Mauritius and is an inspiration to younger scientists.

She sits on various advisory committees and is a member of several international professional bodies such as the International Society for Reef Studies, the Australian Coral Reef Society, the Fish Barcode of Life Initiative (Africa) and the Mauritius Academy of Science and Technology.

H.E John Feakes with the participants during the Women in Leadership training programme.

Improving women’s leadership outcomes through professional developmentWriter and photography: Mbindyo Kimanthi

Africa continues to make considerable strides in ensuring women are better represented and equipped at senior levels of leadership for impact in development. However, there is still a long way to go before we achieve gender parity, not only in the proportion of women in senior leadership positions but also in the type of leadership roles they play.

According to the Women Matter Africa Report 2016, women in the continent continue to face three obstacles in taking on leadership: Failure to consider gender issues with the seriousness they

deserve; a poor understanding of the barriers women face in the workplace; and inability to tackle the right issues through programs to address gender balance. It is therefore imperative for women to be proactive in reaching out for professional development and view it as an invaluable investment on themselves, if they are to have influence in their spheres. In fact, Building Women’s Leadership: the Contribution of Australia Awards Scholarships, a report produced by the Office of Development Effectiveness (ODE), contends that post-award leadership courses delivered in country for both women and men as part of Alumni engagement, are likely to be a cost-effective way to improve women’s leadership outcomes.

Dr Kamla Ruby Moothien Pillay.

Writer: Janine SmitPhotography: Provided by Prof. Shehu Akintola

There are a number of critical issues affecting the development of Nigeria’s blue economy.

Nigeria has an inadequate framework to deal with environmental, social and governance conditions in its fisheries, an absence of a domestic coastal management policy, pays inadequate attention to small-scale fisheries, and has significant knowledge gaps in marine life, seabed resources and the risks associated with fishing in the country’s coastal areas.

Professor Shehu Akintola, an associate professor at Lagos State

Implementing guidelines for sustainable small-scale fisheries in Nigeria

University in Nigeria, completed the short course on Ocean Governance and Sustainable Fisheries at the Australian National University in 2016. Professor Akintola recognises the critical importance of supporting sustainable small-scale fisheries in Nigeria and this short course further developed his knowledge of good governance in the management of aquatic systems. “Previously, higher education institutions emphasised fisheries science to the detriment of the role of fisheries governance in the quest for sustainable fisheries,” he said.

Since completing the course, Professor Akintola has become involved in implementing the voluntary guidelines of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries in the context of food security and

Twenty-Eight Alumnae from 13 African countries took part in a two-day Women in Leadership training programme. The course sought to explore the specific needs and capabilities of women, and provide them with knowledge and skills they need to succeed and contribute added value in their roles. The workshop was held on 9-10 March, 2017 as part of an initiative to commemorate the International Women’s day (IWD) and was sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Nairobi.

The short course, developed and delivered by Strathmore University’s Business School, was tailored to equip the women with tools to bring out their unique capabilities to the leadership challenges they face, by improving their negotiation and refining their quality of decision-making skills. A mix of plenary presentations, case studies, self-assessment exercises, exploratory deliberations, an informal panel discussion with guest speakers and group exercises were harnessed to bring out experiential learning and stir inspiration from the diverse cultural backgrounds represented in the cross-country meeting.

In the words of Nancy Biwott, the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Officer at Palladium, “We are excited that our Alumnae have an opportunity to participate in the Women in Leadership training. We believe that it will enable them identify practical and realistic steps that they would like to make to enhance their leadership roles at work, the community level and within the Alumni associations. We envisage that the training will enhance their confidence to better use their knowledge and available resources to contribute to sustainable development in their sphere.”

Immaculate Namuleme a Medical Doctor working with Baylor College of Medicine in Uganda, (a Master of Public Health, University of Melbourne graduate) asserts, “In many instances, women undervalue their worth. I have learnt that when I am negotiating for anything, I should not belittle myself. The workshop also stimulated my mind to think differently in how I can integrate my life and work, effectively. It also helped me to think better as a

leader to be able to tap into the potential of staff that I lead.”

Another participant, Dr Maureen Atemkeng, the head of legumes crop research at the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) in Cameroon said, “Through this workshop, I realized that there is more to negotiation than phone calls and email communication. I have learnt that I need to prepare, gather information and know about my stakeholders and identify the best alternative when I am approaching the discussion table. When I go back to work, I plan to organize a meeting with my staff to help them understand the need to effectively integrate life and work challenges, another key lesson I took from the workshop.” Dr Atemkeng participated in the Increasing Development Impact in Agricultural Research (IDIAR) short course held in Kenya in October 2016.

Betty Sharon, the Executive Director of Coast Women in Development (CWID), a non-profit organization in Kenya, lauded Australia Awards for providing the training opportunity for Alumnae as a way of building their leadership abilities. “I appreciate the Australia Awards programme for supporting and unceasingly building on women’s prospects in promoting impact development. The uniqueness of this programme is the continued engagement of the Alumni even after Award, through professional development opportunities.” Betty attended a short course on Building the Capacity of African Women Leaders: Gender Inclusive Development by Flinders University in 2012.

Through the relevant and practical skills gained from this workshop, the Alumnae are now better equipped to grow through leadership challenges, even as they endeavour to contribute to sustainable development across the sectors they work in Africa. The support by DFAT towards this short course aligns with Australia’s commitment and contribution in providing continuous professional development support in enhancing women’s participation and voice in decision-making.



poverty eradication (the SSF Guidelines ). The implementation of these Guidelines will lead to improved livelihoods for fishers. Directly, by increasing their harvests through improved fisheries management, or indirectly, through the provision of alternative livelihoods, which may include diversification into aquaculture or a combination of fishing with other activities.

According to Professor Akintola, “the voluntary nature of the SSF Guidelines ensures that they are home grown and amendable to suit the reality of stakeholder experiences and not cast in a rigid format”. The onus of encouraging compliance with the guidelines is on the State, and strategic implementation will largely depend on the will of the participants to comply. Although there is currently no legislation in place to regulate the implementation of the Guidelines, a series of legislative documents, such as the global Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF), supports their implementation and objectives.

Because women make up the majority of small-scale fishers involved in the processing and preservation, marketing and trade of fish in Africa, Professor Akintola believes that the successful implementation of the SSF Guidelines will impact tremendously on them. This will cascade to better food and nutrition security for vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly. An estimated 50 million people will benefit from the project through improved livelihoods, reduced poverty and improved food security and nutrition.

When asked about the value of the short course to the implementation of these international guidelines in Nigeria, Professor Akintola said that the importance of stakeholder engagement was emphasised throughout the course as a way to ensure sustainability. Some progress has already been made

globally, and many countries in Asia and a few in Africa already have successful stakeholder engagement programs in place. Professor Akintola is optimistic that once he can get other stakeholders, especially the donor community, to fund the process of establishing a culture of getting everyone to work together for a common cause, the necessary foundations will have been laid. As a researcher, Professor Akintola draws attention to the SSF Guidelines and provides a pathway to their implementation in Nigeria.

He also provides feedback from stakeholders in order to provide evidence-based interventions that will lead to the attainment of the SSF objectives. He is a member of the Too Big To Ignore (TBTI) research network SSF Guidelines cluster, which supports the implementation process through a methodological, analytical and descriptive approach by documenting and analysing guideline implementation currently taking place and providing inputs to facilitate it.

He hopes to organise and secure funding for a stakeholder engagement workshop on the implementation of the SSF Guidelines. He is approaching academics, government, donor communities, fish workers and their organisations, as well as non-governmental organisations. He also hopes to attract collaborators in this stakeholder engagement process through the Australia Awards Alumni platform.

Professor Akintola expects that implementing the SSF Guidelines will help fast track the process of integrating the fisheries segmented into the entire blue economy framework. This will enhance the economic development of Nigeria and improve the quality of life of its citizens.


Prof Shehu Latunji Akintola, Associate Proffessor, Lagos State University in Nigeria and Dr Robert Styles of the ANU.

Ensuring good aquatic animal production by improving aquaculture systemsWriter: Janine SmitPhotography: Provided by Dr Valera Dias

Mozambique is one of the countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in greatest need of initiatives to boost its economy.

The Mozambican government has made an urgent call to the public and private sectors for solutions to critical issues related to health, food security and education. From this perspective, the work of Dr Valera Dias, a researcher in the School of Marine and Coastal Sciences at the Eduardo Mondlane University, is driven by the need to improve the country’s aquaculture system to ensure good aquatic animal production.

While the cultivation of freshwater species in Mozambique has been practised since the 1950s, the cultivation of marine species has only emerged in the past five years. The production models and intensity of aquaculture comprise both subsistence and commercial farming. Aquaculture practices range from extensive farming (tilapia and seaweed) with few inputs and modest output, to semi-intensive farming (prawns) with high inputs and high outputs.

The development of aquaculture in Mozambique will play an important role in the country’s social and economic development. Aquaculture is a cheap source of protein, which assists in improving the population’s diet, creating jobs, generating income and promoting regional development. Mozambique has an enormous potential for aquaculture development due to a favourable investment environment, good climatic conditions, the absence of severe pollution, low population pressure and extensive resources, with a potential 33 000 hectares of land suitable for coastal aquaculture. Several wild native species can be farmed, including the giant tiger prawn, Indian white prawn, kuruma prawn, giant river prawn and tilapia.

Dr Dias, who completed a Masters in Applied Science in the Marine

Environment majoring in Aquaculture at the University of Tasmania in Australia in 2010, is using her knowledge of the marine environment to train lecturers from aquaculture institutions in Mocuba in the Zambezia Province.

She presents a short course on aquaculture at the Eduardo Mondlane University’s School of Marine and Coastal Sciences and teaches on the University’s BSc program in Marine Biology and the MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture. Almost 130 (undergraduate

and postgraduate) students benefit each year from her knowledge of this important sector.

According to Dr Dias, activities such as mining and aquaculture, which are performed near aquatic systems, can interfere with the ecology. She has an interest in an ecotoxicology project monitoring the effects of anthropogenic activities on the marine environment, which appear to be polluting a river near Quelimane City. The aim of this project is to reduce contamination of the aquatic systems, since there is a shrimp farm near the target river. “The results of this project will help establish water quality guidelines to monitor toxicants and pollutants released by industry into the ecosystem. As Mozambique’s policy on aquaculture is not finalised at the moment, this research will help the Ministry of Fisheries set fines and penalties to be imposed on transgressors and encourage use of the country’s marine resources in a sustainable way,” she explained.

Dr Dias was an architect of the project in collaboration with the government agency responsible for water affairs in Zambezia Province. The project will evaluate and mitigate the pollution in the Chipaca River in the Zambezia Province and, once implemented, a number of postgraduate students will research its impact. A funding application for the project is being submitted to National Funds for Investigation (NFI) in Mozambique.

As an Australia Awards Alumna, Dr Dias has expressed an interest in collaborating with Australian universities in her field of specialisation. In recent years, she has completed a Doctorate at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and looks forward to consolidating her collaboration opportunities in 2017. She plans to collaborate with fellow researchers, including a fellow Alumna from Indonesia, in a project related to the cultivation of shrimp which are being severely affected by the white sop syndrome virus. “Maybe I can learn more with possible partners from Australia or other places,” she said.

Dr Dias believes that she can make an important contribution to research in Australia and Mozambique, as parts of Australia have similar weather conditions to some provinces in Mozambique.

Dr Valera Dias.


Writer: Janine SmitPhotography: Provided by Charles Ngunjiri

Charles Ngunjiri with the participants of the high-profile maritime capacity-building workshop.

Enhancing Africa’s economic growth through maritime security and ocean governance

Millions of people, particularly in the developing world, depend on oceans for food security and economic development. A green economy is the effective use of the earth’s natural resources, while a blue economy depends on healthy marine resources.

The development of a blue economy in Kenya is hampered by factors including overfishing, climate change, pollution and the capital-intensive development of sectors such as shipping and transportation. Charles Ngunjiri, a Senior Assistant Director in the Ministry of East African Community (EAC) , Labour and Social Protection in Nairobi, Kenya, believes that continuous financial investment and human capacity building is required in the maritime sector.

When Charles returned from the Ocean Governance and Maritime Security short course at the University of Wollongong in Australia in 2014, he put his newly acquired skills and networks to good use. He organised the first ever high-profile maritime capacity-building workshop and information-sharing session on behalf of the Ministry. He collaborated with TRADE MARK East Africa (TMEA) and the Government of Kenya and persuaded three of his fellow

Alumni to lead presentations on ocean governance and maritime security.

The objective of the January 2015 workshop held in Mombasa was to create awareness, identify opportunities for collaboration through maritime stakeholder engagement and contribute to the sustainable development of the blue economy in Kenya. The workshop targeted participants from all maritime entities in the country and was attended by the heads of these entities or their representatives. By sharing maritime security and governance experiences, the participants were able to identify challenges in the sector that hindered business opportunities in the EAC.

The participants also suggested solutions to the challenges and proposed the future engagement of maritime sector stakeholders on a regular basis. Mr Ngunjiri plans to follow this up with a regional workshop for the East African countries once funding has been secured, further extending the benefit of this short course.According to Mr Ngunjiri, the workshop succeeded in encouraging East African and Indian Ocean countries to address maritime security and ocean governance issues, and now two years after

Developing sustainable fisheries in Nigeria through aquacultureWriter: Janine SmitPhotography: Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research

The overexploitation of Nigeria’s rivers and oceans through illegal and unregulated fishing has necessitated alternative ways to safeguard this country’s resources, while ensuring food security and sustainable food resources.

According to Ms Veronica Omenwa, an Alumna of the Ocean Governance and Sustainable Fisheries short course at the Australian National University in 2016, the present economic reality in Nigeria, coupled with environmental degradation and the urban sprawl that is associated with oil exploration and exploitation, has caused a sharp decline in the amount of farmland, forests and rivers available for traditional indigenous occupation. Women in the Niger Delta’s mangrove forests depend on fishing and gathering seafood through community-based approaches for their livelihoods. These mangrove and other freshwater swamp systems in Nigeria are severely affected by environmental degradation, and as a result, these women are losing their source of income.

Ms Omenwa, a senior research officer in the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, is involved with a project relating to the economic viability of fishery activities compared to alternate sources of income for women in Ikwerre in Nigeria’s Rivers State in the Niger Delta. “I aim to address some of these issues by training women through the use of existing knowledge

and expertise on aquaculture, expanding on aquaculture training through the use of existing well-equipped aquaculture facilities, launching a campaign to promote government policy on aquaculture, and leveraging and raising government funding to women farmers,” she says. The project was part of her mandate at the Institute, but it was not funded by the Institute. However, she was permitted to use the Institute’s resources.

She helped women run programmes to clean up their environments so as to enhance their aquaculture practices, and increase the willingness of women farmers to diversify into aquaculture by establishing communities of practice. “My project targets women farmers in order to support their fishing activities by monitoring and offering relevant information and guidance. The project also targets women who are willing to improve their livelihoods by gaining technical and entrepreneurial skills in order to make decisions about issues that concern them,” she says. This was a new initiative, but it ended due to a lack of funding.

Ms Omenwa confirms that the leadership and communication skills she acquired, as well as a greater understanding of strategic planning and project management, have greatly enhanced her


Veronica Omenwa helping women to clean up their environment.

the workshop benefits are evident. Kenya has reviewed its maritime legislation in accordance with the existing international maritime conventions, a Department for Fisheries and Blue Economy has been established, and the government has increased funding to the maritime sector.

The workshop also assisted in establishing a network of maritime specialists and stakeholders. Several women who actively participated in the workshop have benefited from the shared information, which will help them advocate for the increased involvement of more women in blue economy development.

In facing the sectoral challenges through dialogue, the EAC can look forward to an increasingly developed blue economy that will progress the sustainable development goals of eradicating poverty, while sustaining economic growth, creating decent job opportunities and maintaining healthy ecosystems.Mr Ngunjiri is a valued Alumnus of the Australia Awards programme.

He sits on Australia Awards interview panels, and has contributed to the review of the Ocean Governance and Maritime Security short course. He is the current chairperson of the Kenya-Australia Alumni Association.


Through fishing Veronica Omenw, is sharing her skills with women to improve their livelihood.

Equipping women with tools for effective leadershipWriter: Mbindyo KimanthiPhotography: Archives

In Africa today, women are balancing much more than just families. They are key figures in government, leading entrepreneurs, and changing the world with their revolutionary ideas! For instance Umra Omar founded a group that travels by boat, road and air to provide free medical services to over 1,000 people a year in remote and insecure areas near the Kenya-Somalia border. Or Brenda Iyahoya, a Chief in Malawi fighting early child marriages. Or Josephine Agutu, a gold miner from Uganda, empowering women through Fairtrade in the extractives sector. Undeniably, the women in leadership agenda continues to attract significant attention across the globe, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that women in leadership lead to better performance in organisations.

The number of women in leadership positions has been on the rise around the world. According to the Women Matter Africa Report 2016 by McKinsey & Company, Africa has more women in executive committee, CEO and board roles in companies than the average worldwide. In fact, it affirms that companies with a greater share of women in their boards of directors tend to perform better financially. Despite this reality, women do not necessarily have greater power in corporate circles and key decision making roles; a heavy cost that they have to pay in a bid to balance the dynamics of life and work.

With this reality beckoning, and the need for women to successfully integrate life and work in tow, five Alumnae through the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Nairobi, attended the inaugural Global Women’s Conference organized by Strathmore University. The forum brought together over 150 women in senior management across Kenya’s corporate and public sector and was aimed at equipping women leaders with tools to help them be effective and efficient in their leadership roles in and out of the office. It provided a unique platform for the women leaders to refresh, recharge and reflect on their unique contribution in building a cohesive and better world for all. The forum was held on 8-9 March as part of an initiative to commemorate the International Women’s day 2017.

Spanning across different sectors including non-profit organisations, public sector institutions, and the corporate world, the Australia Awards Alumnae gained a better understanding and appreciation of gender equality, inclusiveness and good governance as well as relevant and practical skills to make valuable contribution in their leadership roles. Four of the Alumnae shared their experience from the forum and the impact it has created for them, in their quest to build and nurture other women leaders to #BeBoldForChange.


work and productivity. She is now sharing these skills with the women she is training to improve their livelihoods. She also learned that networking is a very powerful tool that can be used to gain information and remain on top of one’s work. She consulted with two of her fellow Australian Awards Alumni, including Dr Geoffrey Nwabueze of the National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR) in Nigeria, and their valuable contributions contributed to the success of the project.

“The Nigerian government places a high value on food security and sustainability, as well as gender equality,” she says. Fisheries are one of the fastest growing industries in the country, and the large number of women involved in this industry makes it an important sector. “The government encourages all forms of farming, and aquaculture will lead to economic growth, while meeting the demands and expectations of consumers. This will bring about a stable and transparent market and, in the long run, the sustainable development of fish supply chains in Nigeria.”

While 150 women were targeted in the first phase of this project, she was only able to train 23 women due to a number of challenges experienced. These include a lack of funding for the practical sessions, as well as the fact that some women could not come to the training due to scheduling conflicts. The recession in Nigeria also made the women reluctant to attend the training without incentives at its conclusion. Of the women who completed the training successfully, 15 have their own fish farms. Ms Omenwa has followed up with ten of the participants, based on their potential for success, and some achievements have been recorded. Although the training the women received has increased their income and raised their self-esteem, some are hampered by a lack of capital to start their own fish farms.

Dr. Angela Gichaga previously worked in the public service for 7 years. Currently, she is serving various governments across Africa as a Commissioner for Gender, Rural Economy & Agriculture with the Africa Youth Commission, a role she is very passionate about. The Australia Awards Scholarship she received in 2012 to study Master of Health Economics

and Policy at the University of Adelaide in South Australia was a major highlight in her career as it opened her mind to the perspectives of women in leadership.

“The two-day conference was an opportunity to network both with Australia Awards Alumni as well as other professional women with the possibilities of creating collaborations for engagement at a different level. I was moved by one of the speakers who shared on ‘Seasons’, and how women can have it all by understanding their seasons and what one needs to do to optimize the time within their season. I was also impressed by the inclusion of male speakers at a women’s conference because I believe they play a very important role in helping women attain self-actualization by collaborating, partnering, sponsoring and mentoring women both in corporate and public sector.

As a Commissioner at a pan-African Level, I hope to give young people opportunities in different areas of expertise as a way of nurturing them to appreciate and deliver in development issues. I believe that with the right partnerships, I will be able to support more youth through their development initiatives.’

Shamsia Ramadhan is a Programme Manager for the Capacity for Inter-religious Action department at Catholic Relief Services in Kenya. She took part in a short course on Kenya - Capacity Building in Conflict Management and Peace-Building at Queensland University of Technology in 2013.

‘The conference provided me with a space to reflect on my experience, especially on the

various leadership positions, some of which I had initially shied away from, but had to take up based on the specific technical skills I possess. It also allowed me to learn from others who have excelled in the corporate world, and critically think about the attributes I need to be able to dispense my role effectively.

I work in a male-dominated environment and there are many opportunities for women that we do not take on, simply because we feel we are not capable. Through the different experiences shared at the conference, I have been encouraged and challenged to be bold, and not to miss out on any opportunities that come my way. When I go back to my workplace, I would like to mainstream gender issues in the program I am currently managing to ensure

that there is not only a deliberate inclusion of women’s voice in programming but also that, women are able to ascend through leadership positions and make valuable contribution within the peace-building sphere.’

Dorothy Masinde works as a Senior Business Relationship Manager for Information Technology (IT) in World Vision International. Her role is to ensure that IT continues to deliver value in their work - to alleviate poverty and injustice in communities they work in. She participated in the African leadership in sustainable development and enterprise short course delivered by Griffith University in 2012.

“The forum reinforced the notion that we can influence women to grow and thrive not only in the home front but also at places of work. It is a real challenge to have women leading in this male-dominated sector. But I have learnt that as a woman, I don’t need to be a man or to behave like a man or even be tough to grow and deliver. I can still be feminine yet scale the heights of leadership in the corporate world. I have also learnt the importance of listening and learning from other women’s experiences.

I would like to start a mentorship program to help the younger women in IT within and outside the organization to be bold and take on leadership positions in this field. I also hope to share the lessons from this forum with my team members.’

Dr Bosibori Bett, PhD is a Senior Research Scientist at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) where she coordinates the crop Biotechnology program at one of the organisations’ centres in Nairobi. She attained a Doctor of Philosophy Agricultural Biotechnology from the Queensland University of Technology in 2016.

‘Throughout my career I existed in ‘this cocoon’ of scientific research until I received a promotion and was co-opted into the management. At that level, I understood the importance and need for sound corporate governance in the public sector.

During the forum, I gained deeper understanding of the fact that it is neither a man’s nor a woman’s world. It’s about humanity. We are called to make the world humane. Part of making the world humane is to discover that as women, we need to empower rather than compete with one another. I was delighted to note that men have encouraged women to take on challenging positions in the corporate world.

This forum came at a time when we are commemorating the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2017. I celebrate the many women and men who held my hand and had a positive impact as I scaled the leadership ladder. For me to make IWD matter, it means creating opportunities for women in the public sector to complement and contribute in achieving gender parity and development.’



Dr Mware explains to a Research Associate the reconstitution procedure of chemical for use in the laboratory.

Advancing agricultural impact through cross-continental linkagesWriter: Mbindyo KimanthiPhotography: Provided by Dr Benard Mware

As pressure to deliver on development indicators increase and the challenges we face in our society become more complex, the concept of networking and creating linkages – whether organisational, in-country or continental – holds a lot of promise. Two Kenyan PhD Alumni, Dr Benard Mware and Dr Isaac Njaci, have continued to harness the benefits of linkages created while on award in Australia, to advance development outcomes in the agriculture sector in Kenya and beyond.

Dr Benard Mware works as a Plant Biotechnologist specializing in plant virology, genetic engineering, and plant transformation, he holds a Postdoctoral on Fellow leading Cassava Transformation project at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Kenya. His current work focuses on addressing the menace of Cassava brown streak virus disease in cassava production. He graduated from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2016 with a PhD in Biotechnology (specialized on molecular biology, plant pathology and biotechnology research).

Towards the end of his PhD studies, his supervisor, Distinguished Prof James Dale from QUT, in collaboration with Dr Leena Tripathi, a Plant Biotechnologist at IITA, developed a proposal partly based on findings from his PhD research work. The proposal focused on generating resistant banana lines to curb the Banana Bunchy Top virus that is prevalent in over 15 countries around Sub-Saharan Africa. Bunchy Top is considered as the most economically destructive viral disease affecting bananas worldwide. Anecdotal evidence by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) suggests that the disease is threatening food security for over 70 million Africans that depend on bananas for their livelihood and food supply.

Upon return to Kenya in 2015, and due to the ongoing partnership between IITA and QUT, Dr Mware was granted an internship opportunity at IITA, under Dr Tripathi. His responsibilities included

testing transgenic banana lines for integration of transgene and target traits, establishing protocol for screening the plants, developing protocol for experiments in the laboratory, and mentoring other staff using the knowledge acquired while on Award.

Dr Mware credits the opportunity he got to study his PhD in Australia with skills and networks that have helped advance his career and contribute to development outcomes in his area of work. “Through the Award, I gained very useful lifetime skills and biotechnological techniques such as, molecular characterization and plant genetics, which are necessary for crop improvement, especially for yields that cannot be improved from conventional crop breeding. I believe that genetic engineering has the potential to improve crops such as cassava and banana. In fact, the work we are involved in right now is generating banana and cassava lines with virus resistance traits and I am optimistic when eventually released, it will improve crop yields for the communities that rely on these crops. “says Dr Mware.

Similarly, Dr Njaci graduated with a PhD in Plant Sciences specializing in Molecular biology, Bioinformatics and Biotechnology from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2016. He was recently nominated as the recipient of the 2016 Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award at QUT. While studying, he introduced QUT through his PhD supervisor Prof Sagadevan Mundree to Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub located in Nairobi, Kenya. Through this contact and following several visits to Kenya, the two organizations identified a need for a partnership which enabled Dr Njaci to undertake his research at the Hub post award.


Writer and photography: Mbindyo Kimanthi

They met on the Increasing Development Impact in Agricultural Research (IDIAR) Australia Awards Short Course, delivered by the University of Sydney in Kenya, and formed a collaborative, cross-continental team that won a grant to deliver on a food and nutrition security project. The Alumni – Dr Olaide Aderibigbe (Nigeria), Mr Andrew Wanga (Kenya), Mr George Mondoh (Kenya), and Ms Zione Kalumikiza (Malawi) – hope to engage small-holder famers to create stakeholder-based solutions to reduce post-harvest losses of tomato and mangoes, in Nigeria and Kenya respectively, through the “Minimizing Waste Through Value Addition and Preservation of Fresh produce in Nigeria and Kenya” project.

The project recognises the integral role that the fruit and vegetable industries play in reducing micronutrient deficiencies in the diet, generating income and creating job opportunities, particularly for women. As such, it will provide collaborative solutions to reduce post-harvest losses, improve competitiveness of these value chains through post-harvest handling and affordable value-addition of fresh produce. In return, this will lead to significant income generation and improved food and nutrition security and transform subsistence production to market oriented production. At the end, the smallholder farmers will have a better way to preserve their produce and attract better prices.

The project will be delivered as part of a new Australia-Africa partnership between the University of Ibadan, University of Nairobi and University of Sydney through the Australia Africa Universities Network (AAUN). It also includes collaboration with organisations in the public and private sectors including National Horticultural Research Institute (Nigeria), the Agricultural Finance Corporation (Kenya), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service

Cross-continental collaboration to enhance food security

(Kenya) and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Malawi).

The Partnership Research and Development Fund offers grants to foster partnership within the Australia Africa Universities Network (AAUN) network and support planning workshops and research collaborations that address distinct mutual challenges. The main area of focus for the 2016 call was in food and nutrition security.

Dr Njaci sampling pigeonpea leaves for molecular analysis.

Upon completion and on return to Kenya, Dr Njaci joined the BecA-ILRI Hub as a Research Fellow to work on a nutrigenomics and insect resistance project in pigeonpea under the Africa Bioscience Challenge Fund program (ABCF). Pigeonpea is an important tropical pulse grown in the semi-arid regions of Africa.

In Kenya, it’s grown by resource poor farmers in the drier regions as a food and nutritional security crop. Pigeonpea is a rich source of protein and essential minerals and acts as an important nutritional supplement to cereal diets in households that cannot afford protein from animal sources.

Dr Njaci lauds the linkage created between the two organizations for providing a research opportunity for him on return and

contributing not only to crop improvement but also nutritional security in the country.

“While in Australia, I acquired molecular techniques and bioinformatics skills that are now helping me to create solutions that will help small holder farmers to effectively fight insect pests affecting crop productivity in the region. The partnership is also helping in transfer of skills and technology through continuous mentorship” he adds.

These Alumni are testament that creating close collaborations significantly contributes to greater access in knowledge and professional development, as well as innovation in agricultural research by creating new ways of addressing challenges and increasing efficiency and effectiveness.


Australia Alumni Association of Mauritius during one of the activities that took place at the start of the year.

Alumni Association News BriefsMauritius Association helps promote Australian Education and Aid for TradeThe Australian Alumni Association Mauritius kicked off their 2017 activities with two events that showcased Australia’s world class education system and expertise in the area of Aid for Trade.

Jim Redden and Mike Humphrey, from the Economic Development Services Pty Ltd (Australia) and the University of Adelaide’s Institute for International Trade presented the inaugural Speaker event for 2017 entitled “Trade Agreements: Growing your Business into the region: Leveraging Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in the new World Order” on Friday 17 February. Panelists included Mike Humphrey, Natasha Ponen, an Australian Alumni employed as a Senior Trade Analyst at the Mauritius Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Drishtysingh Ramdenee, Head of Ocean Economy at the Mauritius Board of Investment. Turbine, an incubator for new start-ups – the first of its kind in Mauritius and managed by Australian Alumni, Marie Espitalier Noel, offered the perfect venue for the event which was facilitated by Jim Redden.

Friday 17 February also marked the first day of the “Study in Australia” stand at the "Mauritius International University Career and Job Expo” which the Australian Alumni Association Mauritius ran from 17 – 19 February in collaboration with Austrade and the Australian High Commission. The Mauritius International University Career and Job Expo is the key annual education event providing parents and students with essential information on further educational opportunities and attracts representatives from over 100 universities from around the world. With around 2,000 Mauritian students studying in Australia, Mauritius is the second largest source of international students in Australia from Sub-Saharan Africa.

Parents and students enquiring about studying in Australia at the expo welcomed the advice and useful tips provided by the Alumni who represented a wide range of Australian universities.

On the 8th February 2017, a professional networking event organized by the Executive Committee of the Rwanda-Australia Alumni Organization through financial support received from the DFAT in Nairobi took place at Radisson Blu in Kigali.

This social and professional networking event was attended by 18 alumni and two guests from Nairobi to give everyone an opportunity to share their success stories from what they have been doing since they returned from Australia.

The guests from Nairobi were thrilled by some of the success stories shared during the event, and one success story that got most of our attention was about how Dr. Matlida’s has used her medical skills and public health promotion knowledge acquired

from Australia to bring health care relief to the people affected by civil wars in the Central African Republic.

The names of alumni who attended are Ernest Ngendahayo, Emmanuel Nkezabera, Alida Ngwije, Spencer Bugingo, Anitha Kalema, Gisele Ntakirutimana, Didier Umwingeri, Ange Irakoze, Joseph K. Ndahiro, Joseph, David, Augustine, Richard, Matilda, Ariane, Raoul, and Augustine. The dinner event was followed by Ms. Heather Rich and Ms. Caroline Mbugua.

The visiting team from the Australian High Commission, paid visits to the working places of Alida, Anitha , Ernest and Spencer to follow up on how they have been influential at their places of work.

Rwanda Alumni host professional networking event

Malawi Alumni attend WorkshopApproximately about 30 Malawi Australia Awards and privately funded Alumni had an opportunity to attend an innovative workshop, "Step Up in your Career”, funded by DFAT Harare and facilitated by Professor Rob Moodie, an Australian who’s undertaking a part time secondment at the Blantyre Medical College.

The objective was to recheck Alumni’s skills, expertise and competencies at their work places. They were also oriented on the need to devise other approaches to challenges faced in the work place. Attendees at the workshop were from the private sector, government and civil society.

This was followed by an evening reception which had an estimated 40 attendees.

Alumni Kingsley Masamba (left) and Evelyn Susuwele (second from the right) during the workshop.

Lesotho Association leads change in primary schoolsThe Australia Alumni Association of Lesotho (AAAL) supported primary school learners with textbook and sanitary donations. As part of the Association’s initiatives to enhance learning in schools, Grade 1 learners from a primary school in Maseru received 71 Maths books.

An Australia Alumni Association of Lesotho (AAAL) member with some Grade 1 learners during the visit.

Great work from Malehloenya Nkhasi, the Association Chairperson and the Executive Committee for these life changing initiatives!


Alumni expertise to guide Gender Equality and Social Inclusion initiatives Writer: Nancy BiwottPhotography: Archives

Australia Awards Alumni have multi-faceted skills and expertise that can influence change both within their spheres and at a program level. Australia Awards – Africa encourages Alumni to actively participate in shaping program activities as they often have unique insights from directly benefitting from the Awards experience. Recognising these attributes the program has recruited three Alumni as Gender Equality and Social Inclusion advisors (GESI). As strong GESI advocates in their individual professional lives, they can offer professional and personal perspective to enhance the program.

‘We are very excited about this opportunity to share our learned skills with the Awards program,’ noted Ms. Amanda Odoi. Ms Odoi, the Alumni Advisor for Gender Equality is a Principal Researcher at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. She is an Australia Awards Fellowship alumna who undertook a short course on ‘Building the Capacity of African Women Leaders: Gender Inclusive Development’ in 2012 at Flinders University, South Australia

Georgina Mumba from Zambia, a Statistician and Disability Advocate, is the Alumni Advisor for disability inclusion. She studied a Masters of Public Policy at the University of Melbourne in 2012. She is a disability rights blogger, and among her achievements is campaigning for accessible ATM machines at Barclays Bank Lusaka and ramps at religious institutions. Ms Mumba, the current Australia Awards Alumni Ambassador for Zambia, is a Mandela

Washington Fellow and has presented a TedXLusaka with the topic ‘what is your individual disability policy’.

Dr Simon Ichumar, the Alumni Advisor for HIV and Chronic Illness, is a 2016 graduate from the University of Western Australia in a Master of Public Health. He is a Principal Medical Officer and is based in Uganda. He self identifies as a women rights and inclusion supporter, demonstrated by his commitment to transfer his knowledge and skills through workplace training.

Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion is an integral part of the Australian Government development policy’s and is embedded in all Australia Awards processes and systems. The program will be the richer from having the three advisors support program delivery.

Nigeria Alumni Association elects new Chairperson and Executive members

Congratulations to Nigeria’s new Alumni Association Chairperson, Bridget Nwagbara. A 2014 University of Melbourne graduate (Master of Public Health), Bridget is employed at FHI360 in Nigeria. Australia Awards wishes Bridget success as she takes on the mantle from Jennifer Ndidi Ozegbe, her predecessor.

Bridget Nwagbara, newly elected Alumni Association Chairperson

The Alumni GESI Advisors, Dr Simon Ichuma, Georgina Mumba and

Amanda Odoi.

Mildred Suglo, National Directorate of Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD), Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture (DFAT)

On-Award NewsAwardee Alice Muringe learning the importance of a support system

Kenyan Awardee, Alice Muringe who is currently studying Mineral and Energy Economics at the Curtin University says when she attended the Pre-Departure Briefing (PDB) one of the taking points was about culture-shock and how to overcome it while you are miles away from home. “I guess I was just too excited about all the opportunities that lay ahead to really pay attention to this ‘culture-shock talk’. I thought, with the adventure that living in Australia was going to be, I would have no time for depression.”

Alice says settling into her new surroundings was not as easy as she had imagined it would be. She arrived in Australia while it was still the summer holidays, and found very few people on campus and most of the time she would be alone in her flat, with hardly anyone to talk to. She found myself missing home more than she had expected.

“Thankfully we live in the social-media era and communication is much easier. However, there was still the matter of time differences to overcome, which complicated things a wee bit. The food here also tasted somewhat different from that which I am used to. During meal times, I would remember what the food back home tasted like and this made me miss home even more. By the third day of my being in Australia, I was well under the weather.”Fortunately, during the early January Introductory Academic Program (IAP) Alice met four wonderful people from all over the world who she managed to connect with.

“We often spent time together, sharing our ‘culture-shock stories’, touring the city and getting lost together. We would also go looking for restaurants that served food closest to our local cuisines and through this I learnt about the different foods from Fiji, Madagascar, PNG and Mongolia.”

“One of the first important lessons that I have learnt on this journey so far is that depression is real and it is not to be taken for granted. However, if surrounded by wonderful people that become your support system and encourage you to share, you very quickly overcome it. Good friendships are among the first things that I would advise anyone on this journey to nurture.”

Australia Awards has a number of activities and support available to awardees (like Africa Connect Facebook page where awardees can connect with each other and with alumni who have walked in their shoes, Professional Associations and Networks and Reintegration Planning) that assist in making their stay in Australia beneficial.

Awardee, Alice Muringe with some friends (Far right).

Joyce Ocansey explores Australia’s working environment

Ghanaian Awardee Joyce Ocansey (Master of Environment at the University of Melbourne) says she took part in the Inaugural Australia Awards-Africa Industry Placement Pilot because she wanted to explore not only the education system but also the working environment in Australia.

The Industry Placement Pilot gives awardees the opportunity to gain new knowledge, experiences, skills and expand their professional networks.

Joyce worked with the Center for Sustainability Leader (CSL) which is a not for profit organisation office in Melbourne that offers capability building and leadership development for individuals, organisations and communities who have the passion, potential and commitment to make a better future.“With no experience in working in the not for profit industry, I was taught the ropes in running such an organisation. The day-to-day activities, how decisions are made and by whom. The importance of communication and teamwork. I also increased my knowledge and skills in the various technology and communication tools used by this industry.”

Writer: Kitso MhlophePhotography: Provided by Alice Muringe

Writer: Kitso Mhlophe

She says one of the things she learnt from the placement was the value and essence of networking and collaborations between team members. “CSL as an organisation has been successful because of the importance and emphasis it places on their networks.”

The Industry Placement Pilot gave Joyce the platform to tap into her future work practices. “This will contribute to my future work practices by firstly establishing contacts and building strong networks through which change can be easily facilitated to ensure sustainability in the energy policy sector. And to inspire and develop information sharing, communication, collaboration and teamwork among my network to strengthen each other and build capacity internally as well.”

Joyce has mentioned that the placement experience will assist her with implementing her Work Plan on Return (WPR) as her planned activities involve social and environmental sustainability in policies within the energy sector. “Hence, building strong and vibrant networks is an essential aspect of its success.”


Writer: Kitso MhlophePhotography: Provided by Samson Odongo

The Australian Government recognises that continuous development of skills and knowledge builds enduring people to people links and has the power to influence change. To support their continued professional development and provide access to influential networks, nine Alumni were supported by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to attend the Investing in African Mining Indaba which was held in Cape Town, South Africa.

Investing in African Mining Indaba brings together 6,000 industry leaders including government and business leaders, regulators, experts, and investors in the extractives field convened to forging a sustainable mining industry and deliberating current industry challenges. It remains the preferred deal-making platform for mining in Africa.

Participating Alumni included Kouassi N’Guessan (Cote D’Ivoire); Alemayheu Elala (Ethiopia) Geogette Barnes (Ghana); Moses Njeru (Kenya); Bako Ranjevasoa (Madagascar); Hauwa Usman (Nigeria); Ntshele Phasha and Tryphosa Morolo (South Africa) and Augustine Mubanga (Zambia). An additional 17 Alumni supported African government Ministerial delegations from Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Uganda and Zambia.

Tryphosa (a graduate in mineral economics from the Curtin Business School, Western Australia, 2014) who is the Deputy Director for the Department of Mineral Resources says during the panel discussion of the World Bank Session under the topic: De-Risking Mining Investment in Africa, good governance is always good business. While different stakeholders have different priorities, the importance of public involvement and consultation in decision making is critical.

Not only is Mining Indaba an opportunity to keep professionally relevant, it is also an event where new professional networks and linkages are built. “A few weeks after the Mining Indaba, I met with Transparency International colleagues, to tackle a few issues and ensure a working collaboration between my organisation and theirs. I hope to assist in every way possible to ensure the achievement of the sustainable development for all,” says Tryphosa.

The conference presented opportunities for Alumni to meet with Australian government officials, Head of Missions from their home countries. They attended the Australian Government Presentation on ‘The role of Australian Government in Africa’s Mining Industry and the key aspects of the Kimberly Process’ by Marc Innes-Brown, First Assistant Secretary of the Middle East and Africa Division, DFAT and Robert Owen-Jones, First Assistant Secretary, Investment and Economic Division, DFAT.

Events such as the VIP lunch hosted by ENSafrica, Women in Mining breakfast sponsored by AusTrade and South 32, the Mining for Sustainable Development (MSD) Breakfast hosted by Transparency International and key sessions by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Alumni the opportunity to network with other industry members, collaborate in like-minded roundtables, flag potential investment opportunities, while strengthening the ties between Australia and Africa. Alumni were also able to mingle with key Australian private and diplomatic representatives in the Australia Lounge.

Australia Lounge during the 2017 Mining Indaba.

Join Australia Global Alumni Now!

“Joining Australia Awards Global Alumni takes you a step further, offering numerous opportunities to cross fertilise ideas, experiences and build new

networks globally with peers”

-- Eric Ngang, Cameroon, Masters in Environmental Management and Sustainability in 2013 from the University of South Australia.

To join, visit globalalumni.gov.au, register your details and connect to a world of possibilities or visit www.australiaawardsafrica.org for more information.

Alumni build new networks at Mining Indaba

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