Training Pact with Africa
Supporting African agricultural students
Many parts of Africa are coping with hunger. Despite the available land, agriculture in many places is not able to feed the people of Africa sufficiently. The training pact with Africa of the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development therefore created a scientific exchange with African agricultural academics.
Every year 25 scientists from eleven African countries come to the HSWT for the postgraduate course, which is part of the training pact with Africa, to develop a business case for the agriculture of their home countries. The BayWa Foundation supports the three best business models with prize money which enables the realisation of the prize-winning projects. This is not only a major step towards a world without hunger but also promotes global environmental protection and creates new jobs.
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The winners of the 2020 and 2021 courses with course instructor Dr. Bernd Müller (left) and Sarah Rauch from the BayWa Foundation (center). -
Maria Thon, Executive Director of the BayWa Foundation, in conversation with Vinjeru Nyirenda, African agricultural scientist. -
Convinced with their business idea for African agriculture: The winners 2019 received start-up capital from the BayWa Foundation for implementation. -
A fruitful exchange of knowledge: 25 African scientists are guests at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences for half a year.
The best ideas receive a financial start-up grant
"Back in my home country, I want to support the farmers by giving them access to good markets and developing a suitable agricultural system," says Vinjeru Nyirenda Milenga from Malawi. She is an agricultural scientist and knows the situation of African agriculture only too well. For this reason, HSWT, together with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, made the Training Pact with Africa possible - a "unique exchange of knowledge which creates perspectives", says Maria Thon, Managing Director of the BayWa Foundation.
Until 2022, the Training Pact with Africa will support 25 university graduates from eleven African countries in the agricultural sector with modern and particularly practice-oriented training and further education every year. The participants of the "Postgraduate Training Course" will learn not only about sustainable cultivation but also important contents about the organisation of value chains as well as production and analysis of their own market. Country-specific optimisation processes and renewable energies play an important role here.
During the course of their stay, each participant uses the content learned to develop a sustainable business case for the promotion of African agriculture. The three best business cases will be awarded prize money from the BayWa Foundation for realisation in their home countries. By helping people to help themselves, the educational and working situation of farmers is improved in order to prevent malnutrition of the poor and steadily growing population in Africa.
"A world without hunger is possible", said Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Development in an interview with München.TV. Vinjeru Nyirenda Milenga is also convinced of this and, by participating in the training pact with Africa, is contributing to a better future for many people.
Signing of the training pact with Africa - A report by münchen.tv
The launch of the "Training Pact with Africa" was celebrated at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences in Freising in May 2019.