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SEAD-West: development horticultural education Rwanda

During the international SEAD-West project, HAS green academy worked on the development of horticultural education in the western province of Rwanda. The project was completed for HAS green academy.

SEAD-West

Our project formed part of the larger SEAD-West project, in which an international consortium commits itself to food security in Rwanda by strengthening technical and vocational education. Important questions were: how can we give horticultural education a boost and what guidance is needed?

It ran from January 2018 to March 2023. In short, the role of HAS green academy was to provide guidance in setting up practical education, developing a horticultural curriculum and lecturers on location. As a result, we have provided the lecturers (and students) in Rwanda with knowledge and practical skills as much as possible, with the aim of advancing horticultural education there.

Training missions

HAS green academy was involved both online - remotely - and on location. Four training missions have taken place in Rwanda, each lasting four days. We have given the lecturers in Rwanda tools to develop themselves as lecturers. Among other things, the problem-based learning method was discussed, in which students were challenged to really understand the subject instead of simply learning it by heart. During problem-based learning, they learned to work together in small teams, to think critically with a view to solving problems, to study independently, and so on. Based on case studies, students not only learned to absorb knowledge, but also to produce knowledge themselves. That requires a different way of teaching. HAS green academy contributed to this by training lecturers and helping to set up a new curriculum.

Goals

SEAD-West’s overarching goal is to end hunger in Rwanda. This is intended to have a few long-term effects, namely reducing malnutrition, promoting agricultural growth and creating ecologically sustainable food systems. In the medium term, SEAD-West wants to realise an education system that is of good quality, relevant and accessible and partnerships between individuals and organisations that are inclusive and sustainable. It also wants to realise that organisations that are important for (sectoral) inclusive development of partner countries are strengthened by the influx of improved workers.

A strong focus in the SEAD-West project is on bringing together education, the private sector and government. Consortia have been established in the project to ensure the availability of the required expertise and create synergies with relevant projects and networks, such as SEAD, HortInvest and Water4Growth.

SEAD-West partners: HAS green academy, Yuverta, Aeres Hogeschool, Q-point, University of Rwanda, Mott Macdonald, Holland Greentech, Rwanda Development Board, MSM. Peter van Oene and Erno Bouma of HAS green academy contributed to this project.

Contact us

  • Marjo Baeten

    Lecturer Spatial and Environmental Planning and program manager HAS International Projects

    m.baeten@has.nl
    m.baeten@has.nl
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