2004
Prolinnova Training in Uganda
On
August 24, 2004 the Deputy Director General of Uganda's National
Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO) , Dr. John Aluma, opened
a training for researchers and field extension workers from NGOs,
NARO, UNCST, the National Agriculture Advisory Services(NAADS) and
Makerere University Soil Science department. The Training is organised
by PROLINNOVA-UGANDA and is facilitated by Sara and Fred who recieved
these skills in a recent training at IIRR (Participatory Innovation
Development: A Training of Facilitators' Course - June 14-25, 2004).
A total of 30 participants were invited.
In
his opening remarks Dr. Aluma:
-
applauded the vision of PROLINNOVA, which he continuously equated
to the same vision that has now led to a new NARS in Uganda, with
a new NAR policy and legal framework. The new policy calls for
"thinking beyond the box"- hence innovation.
- Informed
the participants that the importance of Innovations in Agriculture
reasearch and natural resource management has been highlighted
recently by the President of Uganda himself, who infact directed
the operationalisation of the Innovations fund, now set-up in
the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology in order
to encourage farmers to be innovative and to commercialise the
innovation.
- informed
the participants that gone are the days when Agriculture research
was thought about in terms of commodities and departments apportioned
in that direction. The new way now is based on 5 different themes,
all of which are supportive of the PROLINNOVA approach, they are:
-
Understanding people (Diagnosis that respects peoples demands)
-
Linkages and partnerships (which is a truely Prolinnova focus)
-
Sustainable NAtural resource management
-
Technology options (arising from the above three)
-
Linking policy and markets
- The
Uganda National Council of Science and Technology has also developed
an Action-framework focussing on Innovations with emphasis to
documentation, validation and commerscialisation (again the Prolinnova
way)!
-
Informed members that under the new NARS, NARO will set up competitive
research grants which he urged participants to take advantage
of.
The
training lasted four days and added value to our agricultural research
and extension.
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