A community-based farm adviser in Malawi is amongst a group of small-scale African farmers to travel recently on a scholarship to attend one of the UK’s leading agricultural training colleges.

Bahkita Mkwingwiri from Balaka District in Malawi was amongst the recipients of a travel bursary to attend a ten-week training course at Shuttleworth Agricultural College in the UK.

Her trip is a part of a training initiative supported by Marshal Papworth Trust, which provides skills training in the UK to African extension and community-based farm trainers.

Bakhita has joined counterparts from Zambia, Malawi and Uganda on the course, during which she will take part in training modules on topics such as animal and plant husbandry, hand tools and small machinery operations, trainer skills and a Marshal Papworth developed module in small-scale business management.

Speaking on the eve of her trip to the UK, the mother of one said that she was honoured to have been chosen for the course, and was optimistic that she would learn valuable lessons that she could apply back home to the benefit of her family and her local community.

Bakhita Mkwingwiri works with Gorta-Self Help Africa as a village-based farm adviser in Bisani village.  She said that she was chosen for the role ten years ago, and has been providing voluntary farm advise to local householders ever since then.