Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT), the Lead Coordinating Organization for the Knowledge Hub FOR Organic Agriculture in Eastern Africa signed the contract on 14th August in the presence of GIZ officials led by Ms. Sari Max and Ms. Beate Kunz who had come to Nairobi Kenya for the Finance and Contract Management training for GIZ implementing partners on 12th and 13th August 2019 at Azure Hotel. The training was attended by BvAT’s Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) team comprising of Ms. Venancia Wambua, the EOA Initiative Project Manager and Mr. Robertson Nyikuli, the Finance Manager. The contract was signed by Dr. David Amudavi, the Executive Director of BvAT and Prof. Onesmo ole-MoiYoi representing the BvAT Board of Trustees.
Biovision Africa Trust will coordinate the implementation of the project in four east African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda in its first phase of implementation from 2019-2021. Key partners involved in Phase 1 at country level include Pelum Uganda who are also co-hosting the project with BvAT in Uganda, Pelum Kenya for Kenya chapter, Rwanda Organic Agriculture Movement (ROAM) for Rwanda chapter and Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM) for Tanzania chapter. The project will be implemented in partnership with five international partners of IFOAM Organics International, FiBL, CIAT, ICIPE and Access Agriculture.
The project is an initiative by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through its executing agency GIZ to support a network of regional knowledge hubs for organic farming in Africa. The Regional Knowledge Hubs will develop and implement three complementary components:
- Knowledge and information gathering, adjusting and validation
- Participatory and interdisciplinary knowledge transfer
- Networking and market development
While signing the contract, Dr. Amudavi thanked GIZ for this noble course that will ensure stakeholders in agricultural production, processing, marketing and consumption are able to harmonize production and maintenance of natural resources through ecological intensification of their actions and improved consumption behaviors.
He commented that the signing of the contract came at the right time when BvAT is organizing an inception workshop in Kampala, Uganda from 28th to 30th August 2019 to officially roll out the project. The workshop will be attended by its country partners, GIZ officials comprising of Ms. Dorith von Behaim the Project Manager for the Knowledge Center Organic Farming in Africa and Ms. Mara Lindtner the Advisor for the project and Prof. Gerold Rahmann, an advisor from the International Committee.
David further assured GIZ of support and exemplary performance in the delivery of the project objectives through the coordination of BvAT and its international and country partners.
BvAT looks forward to continuing positive future collaborations with GIZ.
News article by Ms. Venancia Wambua, EOA-I in Africa Project Manager