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Since then she has been communicating
her findings to women smallholder farmers, telling them that particular types
of sweet potato have an important nutritional value — especially for young children.
"Conducting a study is one
important step," said Oyunga, who works at the
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute "But making it real by using the
findings as a tool to improve livelihoods of people on the ground is what
makes it complete."
AWARD has helped her
to do this.
The programme
was developed in 2008 to strengthen research and leadership skills of African
women in agricultural science. It offers
female researchers mostly from Africa
two-year mentored fellowships, to help them acquire various skills like writing in scientific journals, developing proposals to fund implementation of their research, and working with poor communities during implementation.
According to the WHO, vitamin A
deficiency is responsible for most cases of impaired blindness in children
and significantly increases the risk of severe illness, and even death, from
common childhood infections.
Oyunga has received funding for the Sweet
Potato Action for Security and Health in Africa programme
to help popularise these potato varieties. In
a pilot project in Western Kenya, pregnant women attending public health
clinics are issued with a voucher to receive potato vines that they can
plant, a programme that could be replicated
elsewhere in Africa if successful.
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