Commonwealth of Learning’s (COL) partner, Makerere University, Uganda recently briefed parliamentarians in the country on COL’s Lifelong Learning for Farmer’s (L3F) model. This dialogue with the parliamentarians was organised to address the role and harmonisation of legislative initiatives and policies in enhancing food and nutrition security.

The meeting was part of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) support for the Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food and Nutrition Security, which is aimed at strengthening the capacities of parliamentarians in Africa to better legislate on food and nutrition security. FAO has partnered with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)-a network with 85-member Universities in 35 African countries of which Makerere University is a member-to implement community engagement activities through competitive grants to young graduates.

The Members of Parliament were interested in understanding how the L3F model would address the challenges of low and declining agricultural productivity, poor extension services, access to value added technologies and interventions to small holder farmers in Uganda.

COL’s L3F initiative empowers farming communities using open, distance and flexible learning. The initiative is working with several partners in the Commonwealth to build capacity among farmers (mostly women) in skills and financial literacy.

PICTURE CAPTION: L-R: Chair of the Parliament of Uganda Committee on Food and Nutrition, Hon. Innocent Kamusiime; Representative of the Principal, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Professor Manson Tweheyo; and Director of Grants at CAES, Professor Moses Tenywa, during the briefing.