Rwanda Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources bids farewell to her BecA-ILRI Hub colleagues

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Details: Written on Tuesday, 26 August 2014 08:46

Rwanda Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Gerardine Mukeshimana visited the BecA-ILRI Hub on 21 August 2014. The visit was an opportunity for Mukeshimana to say farewell to her former colleagues whom she had not seen since her appointment in July. The appointment came while the Minister was on a mission trip, representing the BecA-ILRI Hub at the Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction conference in Greece in July 2014.

During the visit Mukeshimana had the opportunity to celebrate her new assignment with the BecA team which she said she had come to regard as her family.

“The one year spent at BecA was great because I made many friends and I really enjoyed my work. I am not really leaving because I look forward to coming back many more times,” said Mukeshimana.

Mukeshimana expressed her optimism about future collaboration with the BecA-ILRI Hub that will contribute to enhanced agricultural productivity, income, and food and nutritional security in Rwanda through improved research capacity.

To date, over 20 researchers from Rwanda have benefited from workshops aimed at strengthening biosciences research capacity conducted by the BecA-ILRI Hub in collaboration with its capacity building partners; seven researchers from the country’s national agricultural research system have been hosted to conduct their research at the Hub; and the Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) is a national partner in the BecA-led project to improve the quantity and quality of forages in the livestock industry in East Africa “Climate-smart Brachiaria grasses for improved livestock production in East Africa”.

Concerning her new assignment Mukeshimana said “It was totally unexpected but I am going to give it my very best. That is what I have always done wherever I am. Always do your best…you never know where you will be called to serve!”

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