The Magnificent Experience from the Collaborative Learning School in Buikwe District Uganda 2023.

By Patience Kekirunga- Makerere University, Uganda

This was my first time attending such a wonderful event, and so I had many expectations. I was excited to get practical experience and opportunities for networking with interdisciplinary team across the world. From the first day we arrived at the hotel to the last, everyone there was sociable and kind to each other. I had memorable moments with them and built strong relationships that will last forever. Over the course of the Collaborative Learning School, we visited memorial places like source of the Nile and cultural center where we enjoyed lots of traditional entertainments.

However, my greatest experience was community engagement during field visits to the farmer’s gardens in Buikwe district Uganda. First, we felt welcomed by the host farmers in Buikwe district. I learned to work together with farmers to identify their major challenges through system mapping and collaboratively generate potential solutions. The Collaborative Learning School has changed my mindset on several aspects of addressing community challenges. It became clear to me that we should focus on activities that elicit critical thinking, imagination and creativity. This process of design thinking gave farmers an opportunity to identify their own farming challenges and generate sustainable solutions. Also during the political economy analysis, I was able to identify impactful entry points to create positive change when addressing community challenges, for instance, working at the level of policy makers and improving extension services. This differed a lot from my usual learning experience of sitting in the classroom and listening to lectures.

Skill development

From my experience of participating in the Collaborative Learning School, I understood that the process of systems mapping and solution generation exercise together with farmers is the best way to address the farmers’ challenges anywhere in the world. I was able to understand how to identify and assess community needs and develop practical solutions that promote sustainable and resilient food systems at different scales. I also had the opportunity to meet and interact with interdisciplinary research team from diverse academic disciplines, policy makers, local leaders and farmers which greatly improved my communication skills and navigating ethical considerations. The Collaborative Learning School has improved my ability to collaborate with community members, stakeholders to co-design solutions that are customized to their specific needs and circumstances. This reminded me that even a small impact from one person is still an impact that matters.

A motivation enhancement

The Collaborative Learning School provided me with a fresh perspective on my studies, my future career and life in general. I was motivated to see and meet professors and doctors across the world and students who are at different education levels. I was also particularly inspired by the many young female academics who are doing a lot to change the world they are living in. Through this experience, I have become motivated to study hard and become an agent of change in Uganda and the world at large. My message for the students at my home university and other educational institutions across the world is that we must be the drivers of change in our communities and fight against hunger and other challenges to attain a sustainable future. I want to thank the Sustain Food project and our facilitators for enabling me to develop professional skills that will enable me to make a positive impact on my community throughout my career. I hope to build upon this experience and network of professionals to improve my research findings on collaborative learning, knowledge creation, sharing and dissemination.

I am thankful for the experience and the people I got to meet and the facilitators who worked so hard to make this event possible. My experience in one word was just: Incredible!