Judith Bakirya
Judith Bakirya is a Ugandan permaculture farmer. She was named one of the BBC's 100 Women for 2019.[1]
Bakirya was born in the Bugosa District of Uganda, and raised on a farm, though she did not initially intend to be a farmer.[2] As a child, in addition to working on her family's farm, Bakirya and her sisters attended school, thanks to the assistance of her father, a chief.[2] Her success at her primary school qualified her for a scholarship to the prestigious secondary school, Mt St Mary's College Namagunga, something no other student at her school had accomplished.[2] From there, she qualified for a government scholarship to attend university, and earned a Masters in health and development from Birmingham University in the UK.[2]
In 2000, Bakirya quit her job at an NGO in order to return to farming.[3] Using her savings and a small loan from the village Savings and Loans Association, she founded Busaino Fruits & Trees .[2] In 2014, she won the Best Farmers competition sponsored by Vision Group, the Netherlands Embassy in Uganda, KLM Airlines and dfcu Bank.[4] The prize included a chance to exhibit at the Source of the Nile Agriculture Show[4] and to attend agricultural exhibitions in the Netherlands.[5] After this, she opened her own exhibition centre for traditional medicine and culture in Uganda's Jinja District.[6] In 2017, she began the National Agro-Tourism Institute in Jinja to further promote Ugandan agro-tourism and education.[7]
Bakirya now runs Busaino Fruits & Trees as an agro-heritage fruit farm of more than 1,000 acres, with a heavy emphasis on agro-tourism and education regarding environmentally sustainable farming practices.[2] In 2019, this work led to her recognition as one of the BBC's "100 Women" for the year.
References
- ^ "BBC 100 Women 2019: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. October 16, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Judith Bakirya: The Ugandan Farmer Cultivating More than Just Fruit". She Inspires Her. January 4, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ "'You can make money and preserve the environment'". BBC Sport. October 17, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Jinja Agriculture Supplement: Best farmers to exhibit in Jinja". New Vision: Uganda's Leading Daily. July 7, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ "Amsterdam flower fair impresses Ugandan farmers". New Vision: Uganda's Leading Daily. April 20, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ "How awards changed farmers' lives". New Vision: Uganda's Leading Daily. December 7, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
- ^ "Launch of the Agro-Tourism Institute at Busaino Fruit Trees & Herbs". Resource Center for the Africa Agribusiness Academy. July 8, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2019.