Tackling problems affecting women and youth in education, agriculture

Dr. Patrick Osewe - Director of Regenesys Africa.

In the heart of Nairobi, a revolutionary institution of higher learning is paving the way for a new era of technological innovation and boosting food security by empowering women entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. Perched on the 12^th floor of the sky-high Global Trade Centre, Regenesys School of Business and Technology, a cutting-edge international university, is on the verge of something special: bridging Kenya's digital divide with a worthy “Education for All” initiative, which pushes Kenya towards a goal that has never been achieved since independence.

Regenesys aims to not only empower Kenya’s youth with the skills and knowledge required to thrive in an increasingly digitized world, but also to ensure that no one is left behind. This is aligned with the current government’s plan to truly make Kenya a Silicon Savannah, a vision that was on display when the president visited Silicon Valley in California. If the government’s strategic plan for development through infrastructure and other investment is to enhance the country’s position as the epicenter of Africa’s innovation and technological transformation, then Regenesys will have a key role to play in it.

Founded by a team of visionary entrepreneurs and educators, Regenesys is a hub for innovation. Young minds are nurtured there and their passion for technology is ignited. The school's state-of-the-art facility in Nairobi’s up-market Westlands area, along Waiyaki Way, is designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning experiences. Its curriculum has a comprehensive range of programs tailored to meet the rapidly evolving demands of the digital age.

The programs range from coding and cybersecurity to data analytics, artificial intelligence, data science, machine learning, project management in the digital age, business administration, and design thinking. With students exposed to the latest technologies and best practices in the industry, the school's experienced faculty, comprise highly skilled experts and industry professionals from South African, American and Indian technology hubs.

We want to ensure that the knowledge imparted is not only theoretical but also practical and relevant to the real world. Our goal is to empower the next generation of African innovators and entrepreneurs. By providing our students with cutting-edge digital skills and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, we aim to unlock their boundless potential and enable them to drive positive change in their communities and beyond.

About half of Kenya’s current workforce must reskill by 2025 to stay relevant. This initiative will ensure that participants enter the workplace in Kenya or overseas with a future-focused scarce skill. For instance, in agriculture, the need to increase capacity to coordinate agricultural production and improve efficiency in service delivery is a high priority.  To support this effort the government is developing a database of farming entrepreneurs that will feed into the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Information System.

"As we speak, the database already has 6.4 million registered farmers, and our aim is to serve them better by improving access, sharing and utilization of information technology in the agricultural sector," President Ruto indicated in his Madaraka Day Speech.

Thus, implementing technology and innovation in the sector is significant. One of the hallmarks of Regenesys is it’s commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive learning environment. Students from diverse backgrounds and cultures come together to share ideas, learn from each other, and cultivate a spirit of innovation.

Dr. Patrick Osewe speaks on AI and digital education at GTC, Regenesys Kenya.

The school's world-class facilities, including modern computer labs and virtual reality labs, provide students with opportunity for hands-on experience that bring their digital concepts to life. The institution has forged strategic partnerships with leading technology companies, research institutions, and governmental organizations. These collaborations offer students invaluable opportunities for internships, mentorship programs, and exposure to real-world projects, ensuring they are well-prepared for the demands of the modern workforce.

As Africa continues to embrace the digital revolution, institutions like Regenesys are playing a crucial role in nurturing the continent's talent and driving sustainable development. By equipping its students with the necessary digital skills and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, the school is not only bridging both the technology and innovation gap between the rich and poor, men and women, rural and urban, but also it is paving the way for a future where Kenya takes its rightful place as a leader in the digital age.

Additionally, the school also plans to unveil a unique initiative to support women entrepreneurs in Kenya’s agricultural sector as part of a multi-prong strategy aimed at alleviating food insecurity and economically empowering women on the continent.

The initiative, which would complement government efforts, involves providing training, fundraising, and market access to women engaged in various levels of farming business, the so-called “agripreneurs.” Selected women will be trained on improving their business skills, business planning, proposal writing, presentation and negotiations skills, fundamentals of fundraising, business registration and book-keeping, as well as intellectual property rights protection.

Regenesys has scheduled a series of workshops, incubation, and mentorship programs for agripreneurs. But to guarantee sustainability, Regenesys' program will also involve work placement, submission of quarterly business reports to funders as well as ensuring business growth planning with experts and academics.

Kenyan women are the backbone of the nation’s small-scale agricultural sector, mostly farming and selling produce in the domestic market. They are responsible for planting and harvesting crops, tending to livestock, managing other aspects of farming, and providing household income, according to the International Fertilizer Development Centre.

The national government is committed to facilitating the holistic development of the livestock sector, particularly anchoring all its value chains in sustainable strategic platforms. For instance, to guarantee the sustainable supply of a well-trained, highly skilled, and knowledgeable workforce, the government enrolled 1,700 students in various livestock training institutions in 2023 to study animal health and husbandry, leather technology, dairy technology, and meat inspection.

Regenesys's focus on women agripreneurs is not only promoting gender equality but also targeting a group that has proven to be highly effective when given the right opportunities. A similar initiative in India is focused on women as community animal health workers to accelerate  growth of the livestock industry.

As the engine of Kenya's economy, agricultural production will complement manufacturing, export trade, and other sectors. That way, micro-small, and medium enterprises (SMME's) indirectly support the health agenda.

“The bottom-up economic transformation of Kenya requires us to mobilize with urgency and pursue intentional undertakings to catalyze and sustain a revolution in our shambas that will reverberate in our urban areas, towns, and cities,” Ruto said.

The writer, Dr. Patrick Osewe - Director of Regenesys Africa, was until recently the director for health at the Asian Development Bank with headquarters in the Philippines. He is a former head of public health at the World Bank in Washington, and a senior advisor and senior scientist, respectively, at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, USA. He has an MD from the University of Nairobi, an MPH from Harvard School of Public Health, as well as an MBA. Contact: [email protected]