Scholars

Ainemagara Isa is from Kampala, Uganda. He is a graduate of Agriculture from Makerere University and pursuing a Master’s degree in Agribusiness. He has 10 years of experience in local economic development. Ainemagara currently works with Heifer International where he provides leadership to a consortium project titled “Learn for Agribusiness Project” implemented in partnership with Edukans. Under this project, he has established farmer institutions that enable 3,200 farmers and 7200 secondary beneficiaries to receive critical services and inputs for sustainable development. He previously worked with Edukans where he led the agri-skills program, bridging employment opportunities for out-of-school youth through designing curricula and training programs. He worked with Alliance One Uganda as an Extension Technician where he led the company’s technical skilling program. Isa built the capacity of 800 farmers enabling the company to achieve its business targets. He worked with World Vision Uganda as a Market Facilitator where through his engagement skills, 4000 smallholder farmers accessed markets with Aponye (U) Ltd among other services. He worked with Excel Hort Consult as a Value Chain Specialist where he helped the organization invest in relevant value chains through conducting informative analyses and capacity building of its staff and partners in Uganda and East Africa. Ainemagara is passionate about sustainable environmental development and youth business inclusion. He is a member of several platforms such as Agri-Pro Focus, Youth and Agro-Ecology Business and Learning Track in Africa, as well as Markets in Crises under the SEEP network.

Erina Nafula has eight years of experience in the IT systems Integrator sector and two in the business sector. Erina is pursuing a Master in Business Administration from Cavendish University Uganda and earned a Bachelor’s in Engineering (Hon) Electronics majoring in Telecommunications from Multimedia University, Malaysia. She is a member of ISACA and a Certified Information Systems Auditor. Erina is the Chief Operations Officer and co-founder at JjengoTech Limited, a tech startup incorporated in Uganda. JjengoTech Limited’s primary business is a fintech and an e-commerce platform that provides merchants with a virtual address and access to a vast customer base and allows for the convenience of contactless transactions. In this role, her responsibilities have included the design and implementation of business strategies, team leadership, performance measurement and management, daily operations, and financial management. She is also currently serving as a Solution Architect-IT at The Copy Cat Limited, where, for the last eight years, she has developed mission-critical infrastructure solutions for businesses effectively addressing the IT networking, server-builds, network, and cybersecurity pain points with significant financial yields for the company. She volunteers in Rotary serving in several leadership capacities from the local Club to the District as the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Vice-chair 2019-2021. Through these experiences, she has developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills and honed her creativity and innovativeness. She is passionate about technology, adult literacy, and youth leadership.

Leon Nsiku is a Congolese civil society activist with over 10 years of experience in journalism, refugee protection, and human rights promotion. Leon is highly experienced in proposal writing for funding, advocacy, capacity building, and programming in political ecology. He founded the online newsletter www.deboutRDC.net and Partenariat pour la Protection Integree (PPI), one of the prominent human rights organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He conducted over 100 trainings for African human rights defenders and contributed to over five research papers on the protection of human rights defenders in Africa. He has also written opinion pieces on regional politics and human security. He is passionate about child protection and childhood development. He is an enthusiastic, flexible, and result-driven team player in the design and implementation of social ventures. Leon is a PhD Student of Unicaf University Zambia, where he specializes in gendered adaptation to climate change.

Pearl Gahwera has over three years of experience in account and brand management in advertising, marketing, communication, and public relations. Pearl earned a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Makerere University Business School in Uganda. For over two years, Pearl volunteered part-time with 40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Uganda committed to supporting vulnerable children and enabling youth to be the change they want to see. In October 2017, she joined the organization as a full-time volunteer and has led the Communications Department since then. Pearl provides great support through creating the foundation’s communication strategy and plans, as well as overseeing foundation projects and programs. She is a Global Shaper and is currently the Impact Officer of the Kampala Hub. Pearl is also a feminist who is interested in women’s rights, youth employment, and youth participation in leadership.