Empowering Local Sustainable Communities

Judith Bakirya is the managing director of Busaino Fruits and Herbs (BUFRUIT). BUFRUIT is an Agroecological enterprise, using permaculture principles, building on indigenous practices of working with the ‘village and farming as ‘forest’. Sitting on 1064 acres of land in Eastern Uganda, the farm strikes a balance between farming, nature, community, culture, education and tourism. Judith and the farm have won several awards among them the BBC World Service 2019 award as one of the “100” most influential women globally doing environmentally and climate friendly farming. She holds a Master’s degree in health and development from Birmingham University UK.

Kimberley Naqvi (BSc Biology; MA, PhD Geography) is a development and economic geographer whose work focusses on the cultural foundations of economic practice. She teaches human geography at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC, Canada.

Willy Missack is a National Project Coordinator of the Ecosystem Restoration and Sustainable Land Management in Tongoa Island in Vanuatu; He is Advisor to the Vanuatu Climate Action Network secretariat working with community based organisations (CBO) and Vanuatu's Negotiator on Loss and Damage. Willy was presented with a Queen’s Young Leaders Award in 2015 for his work to create a sustainable water supply in his community. His project expanded across the island and empowered young people to focus on water projects and to contribute to sustainability.

Wandra grew up in New England with deep roots in the Cape Verdean community of Southeastern Massachusetts. A retired educator, her interests include the study of the coastal environment of Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay as well as the human impact on the natural environment. Wandra is also a founding member of the Bourne – Wareham Race Amity Group and works in both Portugal and New England on issues of equity, diversity and access.

Neil, raised on a farm in Saskatchewan, has 35 years of experience working with farmers in crop-based agricultural education, applied research and rural community development. He has worked in Western Canada, West Africa and Latin America. Neil has particular interests in crop diversification, applying empowerment-based learning techniques with farmers, and translating science-based agricultural knowledge into written educational material for farmers and the general public.See Faculty Bio