Leadership Awards
Three graduate e-learners were selected by the Board of Directors in June 2023 to receive the PEF Postharvest Training Leadership Award. Each awardee will receive a postharvest resources/tools/training kit valued at $1500 and have been invited to participate in a study tour in Kenya during 2024.
Congratulations to:
Vincent Gasasira, Rwanda
Fanny Ipinge, Botswana and the Netherlands
Dr. Olubukola Odeyemi, Nigeria
| E-Learning Graduates |
| Alphabetical listing by country. Please click on the names for LinkedIn profiles. For any further information contact PEF via email inquiry at postharvest@postharvest.org |
| Batch (year of PEF graduation) Name, Affiliation and Country 1 2012 Md. Faruq Bin Hussain BARI, Univ of Bangladesh PhD program, Bangladesh 2 2012 Sadia Arfin BARI, Bangladesh 3 2015 Mohammed Razu Ahmed Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh 4 2012 Guy Kodjogbe, WFLO consultant, PEF board member, Benin 5 2012 AFFO Parfait Babatunde IITA, Benin 6 2013 Jimba Dorji Vineyard Manager, Bhutan Wine Company, Bhutan 7 2013 Pasang Wangdi Mountain Hazelnuts Project, Bhutan 8 2014 Bidur Rai Mountain Hazelnuts Project, Bhutan 9 2014 Pabitra Ghalley Mountain Hazelnuts Project, Bhutan 10 2016 Phuntsho Chrjay Mountain Hazelnuts Project, Bhutan 11 2016 Karma Yangden Mountain Hazelnuts Project, Bhutan 12 2016 Kul Bdr Thara Mountain Hazelnuts Project, Bhutan 13 2014 Fanny Ipinge Consultant, Netherlands. Co-Founder, Postharvest Tool Kits and Services Foundation, Botswana 14 2019 Babine André, Burkina Faso 15 2019 Ouedraogo François Oliviér, Retired in 2021, Burkina Faso 16 2019 Drabo Oumar, Burkina Faso 17 2019 Ouedraogo Yacouba, Burkina Faso 18 2019 KY Adama Désiré, ACDI-VOCA, Burkina Faso 19 2012 Theavy SREY, Royal University of Agriculture, Head, Postharvest Dept, Faculty of Agro Industry, Cambodia 20 2012 KIM Davin, Tonlesap Project Director at AMK Microfinance Institution PLC, Cambodia 21 2012 Borarin BUNTONG, Royal University of Agriculture, Director, Div of Research and Extension, Cambodia 22 2012 Thong KONG, Royal University of Agriculture, Dean of the Faculty of Agro Industry, Cambodia 23 2015 Nji Desmond Tanifor, Procurement Officer, BOH Plantations Ltd., Cameroon 24 2014 Frederick Mbah (Rick), Postharvest Specialist, ATVIONE, Benin and Cameroon 25 2016 Regine Kamga, World Veg Center, Cameroon 26 2016 Karin Albornoz, Assistant Professor at Universidad de Concepción, Chile 27 2015 Dalia Said Mohamed Farahat, Blue Moon Ltd., Egypt 28 2020 Basel Zaki Manager, Royal Fruits Company, Egypt 29 2012 Mekbib Hilegebrile Seife, Nutirtion expert, Welthungerhilfe, Ethiopia 30 2014 Esa Abiso Godana, Jiangshu Univ, China, post-doctoral researcher, Ethiopia 31 2015 Gezai Abera, Raya Univ, Ethiopia 32 2015 Mulugeta, Sintayehu Musie, Debre Markos Univ, Ethiopia 33 2015 Kemeriya Jihad Umer (Kemeru), Project Regional Manager, SNV, Netherlands, Ethiopia 34 2015 Hassen Yassin Mossa MS student at University of Goettingen, Germany, Ethiopia 35 2015 Gerefa Sefu Edo Jiangshu Univ, China, doctoral program, Ethiopia 36 2016 Yared Getaneh Awgechew Consultant, EcoAllies, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 37 2016 Mebrahtu Gebremariam Aksum Univ, Ethiopia 38 2016 Misale Kuru Jobira, Jimma Univ, Ethiopia 39 2016 Haile Tesfaye Duguma PhD Program, Michigan State University, Ethiopia 40 2016 Ebrahim Seid Hussen Haramaya Univ, Ethiopia 41 2016 Biruk Ayalew Nurihun Hawassa Univ, Ethiopia 42 2016 Abdi Keba Wirtu, Researcher, ILRI, Ethiopia 43 2012 Tigist Tadesse Shonte Haramaya Univ, Ethiopia 44 2015 Hernaude V. K. Agossou (Benin) ZEF PhD Program, Germany 45 2012 Pamela Agbeli (ne: Anfu-Babington), Liberty American School admin, Ghana 46 2012 Adams Abdul-Rahaman, Lecturer, Dr. Hilla Limann Tech Univ, Wa, Ghana 47 2014 Mahama Kodimah Issifu Agricultural Extension, KUMAD Global Impact Ltd., Ghana 48 2015 Paul Assigri Azure (deceased Feb 2019) Ghana Education Service, Tamale, Ghana 49 2012 Andrews Wiafe, Country Retail Mgr, PUMA Energy, Ghana 50 2012 Francis Appiah, KNUST, Ghana 51 2012 Samuel Nii Quarcoo, Quarcoo Initiatives Ltd, COO, Ghana 52 2012 Linda Dari Univ Development Studies (UDS), Ghana 53 2012 Rev. Francis Aboagye- Nuamah, Fulbright Scholar, Iowa State Univ. Postharvest specialist, Methodist Univ College, Ghana 54 2012 Mildred Osei-Kwarteng, Lecturer, Univ Development Studies (UDS), Ghana 55 2012 Vida Ofori, BOMARTS Farm Ltd., Ghana 56 2016 Yusuf Dramani, IDFC, Ghana 57 2012 Vijay Yadav Tokala, Ernst & Young, India & PEF President, India 58 2012 Jacinth Nithya M.S. Swaminathan Research Fdn., India 59 2012 Deepti Aurora Ideal Agribus Services, MD, India 60 2012 Mohmad Arif Zargar, Senior Asst. Professor, Univ of Kashmir, India 61 2012 Deo Datt Singh, ASI, India 62 2012 Vishal Kumar Chouhan One Cert Asia, India 63 2013 V. K. Kauthale BAIF, India 64 2013 Surajit Mitra BCKV SAU, West Bengal, India 65 2016 Ani Widiastuti Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia 66 2012 Feryal Varasteh Akbarpour, Gorgan Univ, Iran 67 2012 Nyabinda Naman Ondeg Extension Mgr, AMPATH ,Kenya 68 2012 Jane Talam Ag Extension, Ag Sector Dev Support Programme, Kenya 69 2012 Joel Kigen Kiplagat Univ of Eastern Africa, Baraton, Kenya 70 2012 Alfayo Ombuya KEPHIS, Kenya 71 2014 Emmanuel Owino Ayua Univ of Eldoret, Kenya 72 2015 Rose Onamu Masinde Muliro Univ, Kenya 73 2012 Jane AmbukoUniv of NairobiKenya 74 2012 Christine Kasichana Masha KALRO, Kenya 75 2012 Charity Wangari Gathambiri KALRO, Kenya 76 2012 Noel Nekesa Makete KALRO, Kenya 77 2012 Samuel Njuguna Ndirangu JKUAT, Kenya 78 2012 Walter Kiplangat Tonui Division Mgr, Ekaterra. Consultant, Unilever Tea Kenya Ltd., Kenya 79 2012 Nancy Wathimu Njogu Min of Agric, Nakuru, Kenya 80 2015 Vicky Gebrayel Mhanna Min of Agric, Lebanon 81 2015 Jacinta Nyaika Maliro, Managing Director at Bio Green Lab, Malawi 82 2015 Malcolm Borg Deputy Dir, Center for Agric, MCAST, Malta 83 2016 Albert Fosso Founder, Namibia Hort Trust. UN FAO consultant, Namibia and Canada 84 2012 Bijaya Upadhya Extension Service Officer, Nepal 85 2015 Sabitri Dahal Executive Director, SADP, Nepal 86 2012 Munir Abba Dandago Kano University of Science and Technology, Nigeria 87 2012 Samuel Ayuba Hamisu (deceased Feb 2017) Agricultural teacher, Northern Nigeria 88 2013 Olubukola Motunrayo Odeyemi Lecturer, Federal University of Agric, Abeokuta. Board member, PEF, Nigeria 89 2015 Adesubokan Solomon Niyi Technical Lead, Mygrics Foundation,Nigeria 90 2015 Kalu Samuel Anya ERGO agribusiness consultant, SSA, Nigeria 91 2018 Chinyere Ester Onyia Founder, AgriPlaz, Africa, Nigeria 92 2018 Abiola Elizabeth OJETAYO, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria 93 2012 Samina Khalid Associate Professor (TTS) at COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Pakistan 94 2012 Basharat Ali Saleem Min of Agric Extension, Pakistan 95 2012 Naeem Ullah Qazi Agric / horti entrepreneur, Pakistan 96 2014 Muhammad Salman Naeem Head of Agri Division, Matra Asia Pvt Ltd., Pakistan 97 2016 Julia Abbasi UC Davis Post-doctoral program (California), Pakistan 98 2014 Sofia Flores Instructor, ULALM, KU Leuven PhD program in Belgium, Peru 99 2015 Ashwell R Ndhlala Agric Research Council, Republic of South Africa 100 2012 Mulinda Noel Valentin Settlement Worker, Multicultural Assn, Fredericton, Canada, Rwanda 101 2012 Musengimana Angelique Sugira Univ of Regina Canada (grad student) Rwanda (present-Spain) 102 2012 Nzeyimana Ignace (deceased 2016) Rwanda 103 2012 Idrissa Habiyaremye Food Scientist, Rwanda 104 2012 Miriam Kayitesi Rwanda Hort Dev Authority, Rwanda 1052012Kizito Mfashubumenyi Hort consultant, Rwanda 106 2012 Herve Ineza National Agric Export Board, Rwanda 107 2012 J. Norbert Mugabushaka National Agric Export Board, Rwanda 108 2016 Alexis Mugisha CEO, POSCO (Postharvest Losses Solutions Company), Rwanda 109 2017 Jean Nepo Mutungirehe, Hort Technician, Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum, Rwanda 110 2017 Bonaventure Ufitinema RAB, Twigire Muhinzi Asst Field Coordinator, Rwanda 111 2017 Mukamajoro Suzanne, Rwanda Agric Board (intern), Rwanda 112 2017 Solange Musanase Postharvest Specialist, ABA trainer, PTSC Bushogo, Rwanda 113 2017 Sharon Cyatengwa Nat’l Agric Export Board, Rwanda 114 2017 Bernard Rwubatse Lecturer/researcher, Univ of Rwanda, Food Sustainability Initiative, Rwanda 115 2017 Angelique Uwamahoro Food Sustainability Initiative, Rwanda 116 2018 Pascal B. Dukuzumuhosa Agricultural inspector, Min of Agric, Rwanda 117 2018 Theodore Mutsinzi Extension worker, Twihaze Banyarwanda, Rwanda 118 2018 Hilda Vasanthakaalam Postharvest and food science consultant, GAIN, Rwanda 119 2018 Joan Mutamba Rwanda Agric Board, Rwanda 120 2018 Angelique Kangondo Lecturer, Rwanda Inst. for Conservation Agriculture (RICA), Rwanda 121 2018 Aloys Hakizimana Rwanda Agric Board, Rwanda 122 2018 Delphin Mpoza MINAGRI, Rwanda 123 2019 Robert NSHIZIRUNGU Manager, Dedicated for Better World, Inc., Nature of Life Ltd, Rwanda 124 2019 Dusabumuremyi Jean Claude Lecturer at INES-Ruhengeri, Rwanda 125 2019 Alexandre TUYISHIMIREPhD Candidate, IUE Jimei, China, Rwanda 126 2021 Vincent Gasasira Founder, Post-Harvest Plus Ltd Rwanda 127 2021 Desire MUGISHA Farmer Support Network Project, Opportunity Int’l, Rwanda 128 2012 Nilanthi Wijewardane Institute of Postharvest Technology, Sri Lanka 129 2014 Zablon Ernest Postharvest Specialist, FRESH Project, World Veg Center, Tanzania 130 2012 Adah Mdesa Mwasha Min Food & Agric, Tanzania 131 2012 Ramadhani Omari Majubwa Sokoine Univ of Agric, Tanzania 132 2013 Radegunda Kessy International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Arusha, Tanzania 133 2013 Vumilia Zikankuba Min Food & Agric, Dodoma. Phase II coordinator, Ag Sector Dev Program, Tanzania 134 2013 James Armachius Tanzania Ag Res Inst (TARI) – Makutupora Center,Tanzania 135 2013 Mwanaisha Mfinanga Min Food & Agric, Lushoto, Tanzania 136 2013 Inviolate Dominick Research Associate, World Veg Center, Tanzania 137 2013 Philipo Joseph Lukumay The Nature Conservancy, Tanzania 138 2015 Mary Mdachi SARI, Tanzania 139 2015 Roseline Marealle Postharvest Mgmt Consultant, Arusha, Tanzania 140 2015 Eliaza Jones Mkuna Mzumbe Univ, Tanzania 141 2012 Odette NguluSARITanzania 142 2012 Janne Remmy Balton Tanzania, Ltd, Tanzania 143 2012 Xanfon Bitala Farmer, entrepreneur,Tanzania 144 2012 Esther Mwaisango Min Food & Agric, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 145 2012 Pendo Bigambo Min Food & Agric, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 146 2012 Joan Steven Nangawe Director, Food Information TZ Ltd., Tanzania 147 2012 Betty Chalamila Agric Research Inst Mikocheni, Tanzania 148 2012 Owekisha Kwigizile Uyole Agric Research Institute, Tanzania 149 2012 Sadoti Makwaruzi Min Food & Agric, Dar es Salaam. Passed away October 2022,Tanzania 150 2012 Merius Nzalawahe Min Food & Agric, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 151 2016 Weisy Wikedzi Agric Officer, Buhigwe District Council, Tanzania 152 2016 Elias Kahabi Trainer for SME Development, Value Addition Investment, Tanzania 153 2016 Aberl Jackson Deule Tanzania Standards Board, Tanzania 154 2013 Edoh Ognakossan Kukom UN World Food Programme Rome, PEF board member, Togo 155 2016 Chantal (PALI Aman Mazalo) Technical Advisor, GIZ, Togo 156 2013 Wilberforce Muyomba Director, Africa Reachout Foundation, Uganda 157 2012 Harriet Okoed Achom Engineering and Sustainable Energy Co. (MD), Uganda 158 2012 Robert Odoi Business Consultant, USA and Uganda 159 2012 Molly Allen Muhindo Pasture Scientist, NARO, Uganda 160 2012 Gloria Grace Aguti NARO, Uganda 161 2016 Hadijah Nantambi Ssekyondwa Research scientist and Innovator, EcoLife Foods, Uganda 162 2016 Irene Myuomba Acres 4 Life, Uganda 163 2018 Thomas Buyinza Iowa State Univ – Uganda Program, Uganda 164 2021 Deogracius Ayile YPARD, Uganda 165 2012 Lizanne Wheeler Sonora Pacific, USA 166 2016 Leah Puro UC Davis grad student, USA 167 2016 Kate Wilkins UC Davis grad student, USA 168 2016 Elyssa Lewis Hort Innov Lab, USA 169 2016 Courtney Jallo Scriptoria Solutions LLC, Sacramento, CA, USA 170 2016 Elder Barbara Shipman Small farmers association leader, USA 171 2016 Raymon Shange, Assoc Professor, Tuskegee Univ, USA 172 2016 Lucy Asare-Baah, Asst Prof, Tuskegee Univ, PTSC manager, USA 173 2016 Anne Randle Univ Georgia Extension, USA 174 2016 Matthew Robinson Agric entrepreneur, USA 175 2016 Danielle Smith Tuskegee Univ grad student, USA 176 2016 Marria Davis Jacobson High School teacher, Texas, USA 177 2017 Desmond Mortley, Professor, Tuskegee Univ, USA 178 2018 Chelsea Johnson Organic certification specialist, SCS Global Systems, USA 179 2021 Amanda Brondy Vice President, International Projects, Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), USA 180 2012 Moses Banda Univ of Zambia, Zambia 181 2012 Himoonga Bernard Moonga Univ of Zambia, Zambia |
Cooperative Ventures Awards
During the pandemic times with no travel and few live events, we at PEF were struggling to think of ways in which we could assist our e-learning graduates and postharvest specialists to do their work in 2020-21. All of our workshops and postharvest international events had been cancelled, moved to webinars and online portals, or postponed.
Via this new grant offering, sponsored by Cooperative Ventures, we encouraged encourage the development and implementation of local postharvest training and outreach activities in the 34 countries where our PEF graduates live and work with current or planned postharvest training work and required cooperation with at least one local organization in your community. Cooperation might include joint planning, sharing training staff, or their provision of resources, such as a venue for hosting a workshop or training program, funds or training materials.
To encourage local collaborative efforts in postharvest education (training, outreach, community projects), the “Cooperative Ventures” grant provided a cash award of US$ 1000 for a PEF e-learning graduate who demonstrated the need for funding to develop a new program or improve an existing training program in which they will work cooperatively with a local organization in their country.
The grant was sponsored by ‘Cooperative Ventures’, a small business in the USA, owned and operated by Dr Lisa Kitinoja since 1993.
Awardees and their completion reports (click on the link to open the report in a new tab):
1. Adams Abdul Rahaman – Ghana
4. Robert Nshizirungu – Rwanda
5. François Olivier Ouedraogo – Burkina Faso
6. Pali A. Mazalo Chantal – Togo
9. Mildred Osei-Kwarteng – Ghana
Kader Awards in Postharvest Training
DR. ADEL A. KADER (1941-2012) was a Professor Emeritus of Postharvest Physiology in the Department of Plant Sciences, the University of California at Davis until his death in December 2012. Dr. Kader’s activities included mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, participation in teaching several courses on postharvest physiology and technology of horticultural crops and extension of information to producers, handlers, and consumers. He was a founding member of the board of directors’ of The Postharvest Education Foundation (2011-12).
Eleven Awardees (2013-2019): (click to open the description in a new window)
2019 Irene and Wilberforce Muyomba (Africa Reachout Foundation, Uganda)
Honorable Mentions: Hadijah Nantambi (EcoLife, Uganda) and Angelique Uwamahoro and Bernard Rwubatse (SustainFood.org, Rwanda)
2018 Vijay Yadav Tokala (India)
2017 Fieldwork/Extension Farmer Training Award Winner: Dr Mohammed Razu Ahmed (Bangladesh)
Academic/University Student Training Award Winner: Gerefa Sefu (Ethiopia)
Honorable mentions: Jane Talam (Kenya) and Bernard Rwubatse (Rwanda)
2016 Fieldwork/Extension Farmer Training Award Winner: Roseline Marealle (Tanzania)
Academic/University Student Training Award Winner: Dr. Mohmad Arief Zargar (India)
Honorable mentions: Jane Talam (Kenya) and Samuel Ayuba (Nigeria)
2015 Winners: Mekbib Seife Hailegebrile (Ethiopia) and Olubukola Odeyemi (Nigeria)
Honorable mentions: Radegunda Kessy (Tanzania) and Mohmad Arief Zargar (India).
2014 Esther Mwaisango (Tanzania)
Honorable mentions: Mekbib Seife Hilegebrile, Ethiopia and Olubukola Odeyemi, Nigeria.
2013 Noel Valentin Mulinda (Rwanda)
POSTHARVEST E-LEARNING PROGRAM HISTORY
Our PEF Global postharvest e-learning programs have been operating for more than 10 years and have been a grand success. We hear on a regular basis from our 180+ graduates and our many top performers, as they report on their new awards, grants, scholarships, and local training activities. Quite a few PEF trained “postharvest specialists” are working as private consultants while others have jobs as postharvest researchers, extension officers or in the private sector as postharvest trainers and educators.
Our e-learning graduates report in each November, and all told their postharvest training events, training of trainers and outreach efforts over the past ten years have allowed us to reach nearly 300,000 small farmers, horticultural crops handlers and extension officers in Africa and South Asia (approximately 30,000 people each year in 25 countries have received postharvest training). As a group PEF graduate e-learners have strong expertise in identifying the causes and sources of food losses, using innovative postharvest technologies to reduce losses (via PICS bags, solar drying, ZECC cool storage, value addition via processing, food fortification, improved packaging, storage practices and marketing, etc.) and developing postharvest training programs for smallholder farmers, traders, processors and marketers.
2021 to present: The PEF e-learning program has been free to participate, open to all and can be directly accessed via free download of the training manual.
2019-20: Postharvest Education Foundation (30 young horti professionals enrolled, representing 7 countries in SSA and 10 other countries). Many live events were postponed due to the pandemic or scheduled online.
2017-18: PEF with ABA Inc. Rwanda e-learning program (14 graduates); Burkina Faso program (6 graduates) plus PEF Global program (3 graduates — one from Uganda, 2 from Nigeria).
2016: PEF Global e-learning program participants (20), Tanzania e-learning program (14).
2014-15: Postharvest Education Foundation (21 young horti professionals trained, representing 14 developing countries).
2013-14: Postharvest Education Foundation (14 young horti professionals trained, representing 7 countries in SSA, mostly Africa).
2012-13: Postharvest Education Foundation (21 young horti professionals trained, representing 7 countries in SSA, mostly Africa).
2012-13: Postharvest Education Foundation/Amity University (14 young horti professionals trained, representing 7 countries in South Asia)
2011-12: Hort CRSP/PEF (36 young horti professionals trained, representing 7 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa)