Changing the Food Security Narrative in Kenya through the AICAT Program

May

25

2022

0

By naomin

Orientation session to UoN students by AICAT team

The Office of the Dean of Students and Career Services on Monday May 23 2022 held an orientation session followed by interviews for 94 shortlisted Faculty of Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine and Biosystems Engineering Students out of 174 received expressions of interest. The orientation session was held at MLT 401 at the UoN Towers, 4th Floor and was attended by University of Nairobi and Kenya Water Institute students shortlisted for the AICAT Program.

The Office of Career Services has been coordinating the Arava International Centre for Agricultural Training (AICAT) experiential program in Israel since the year 2017. This 11 months program is run in partnership with AICAT the main focus being to impart professional, theoretical and practical knowhow and skills in advanced agricultural studies, based on "Learning by Doing". Over 90 UoN students have benefitted from this prestigious program since its inception - 2017 (10), 2018 (15), 2019 (19), 2021 (50).

In her presentation, Ms. Hanni Arnon, the Director AICAT highlighted that “When you share, you do not know what you find on the other side. When you share ideas you can find solutions and do more.” It is by this mantra that AICAT has created a green haven, a nirvana of sorts by not only changing the narrative in Central Arava but also sharing the knowledge by creating a program to train Agricultural students from about 15 countries from Africa and Asia annually so that they too can change the food security narrative for their communities.

It is even impossible to comprehend that surrounded by the harsh heat that rises to about 40 degrees, a minimum rainfall of about 30mm annually and continent engulfed in a never ending battle for power and dominance that within this harshness and difficulty there lies an oasis. A beautiful land lush and green, a food basket, a safe haven for its people and a great dispenser of knowledge.

AICAT encourages student to turn their challenges into advantages because in every challenge lies an opportunity. The aim of this experiential training is to impart in students knowledge and skills in mechanized agriculture to enable them bring change in their societies when they come back home and contribute to achievement of the Country’s Big 4 agenda and vision 2030.

The Fifth cohort of 50-70 students who will be selected for the program will leave for Israel in August 2022 for 11 months.

The students are expected to effect change in their respective communities after acquiring the knowledge and skills aimed at addressing the Food security problems Kenya faces.