Eugenie Kayitesi is a food scientist, who is trying to improve nutrition, diet diversity and food security in Africa developing unique products from underutilized food sources, as well as improving their nutritional composition and health promoting constituents. The core of her research relates to indigenous, underutilized African plant-based foods, such as legumes, cereals, green leafy vegetables and fruits. Her work has highlighted the importance of using readily available and affordable food crops to create food products with improved nutritional, functional and sensory quality.

Lisa Berwa is a development and community extension educator based in Kigali, Rwanda, working at the nexus of food systems, conservation agriculture, and community health. She holds a Master of Science in Global Health Delivery from the University of Global Health Equity and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with specializations in nutrition, conservation agriculture, and entrepreneurship.

At the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA), Lisa leads the technical delivery of ecosystem-based climate adaptation programmes under the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) III Project, supporting farming communities in Rwanda’s Kirehe and Gakenke Districts. One Health training is a core part of her role, where she designs and facilitates training for Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) staff and surrounding communities on the human-animal-environment triad and zoonotic disease prevention.

Dr Myriam Mujawamariya is helping Rwanda prepare for climate change by studying how various types of indigenous trees respond to different climate scenarios. Erosion is a major environmental concern in Rwanda, and many efforts are being put into landscape restoration and ecosystem-based adaptation. However, greater knowledge is needed about how trees will respond to higher temperatures and other climatic changes, as well as which trees can best support ecosystem services such as soil stabilization, climate regulation, biodiversity and bioenergy.

To simulate different climate change scenarios, Dr Mujawamariya tested the physiological responses of 20 native species grown at three sites along an elevation gradient. Her research is part of the unique Rwanda Tropical Elevation Experiment, Rwanda TREE project. The project will contribute to understanding how climate change will influence tropical forest cover, carbon sequestration and biodiversity not only in Rwanda but in all of Africa’s Western Rift Valley region and beyond.

Dr Mujawamariya received her bachelor’s degree in biology at the former National University of Rwanda in 2007 and a master’s degree in plant sciences, specializing in natural resources management, from Wageningen University in the Netherlands in 2012. She received her PhD in natural sciences, specializing in environmental science, from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2021. She began working at the University of Rwanda in 2007 as as a Tutorial Assistant and then Assistant Lecturer since 2013. Last year, she was promoted to Lecturer.

Dr Mujawamariya is a member of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation and is a Research Associate at the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management (CoEB). She has won numerous grants for her work, including the Belgian ARES grant, and grants from the Rwanda National Council of Science and Technology and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). She has participated in many community outreach activities through the University of Rwanda and CoEB to raise awareness for biodiversity conservation, including educating school children about environmental protection.

Dr. Victoire Ghafi Kondi Akara is a Togolese climate–energy scientist based in Kigali, Rwanda. With over 11 years’ experience, her work focuses on electricity-demand modelling, renewable integration, and energy-sector MRV systems supporting SDG7 in Africa. She is a Resident Researcher at AIMS-RIC, contributes to national and regional energy policies, supports African Union efficiency initiatives, and mentors emerging STEM leaders. Her work bridges science, policy, and community impact to advance reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions.

Dr Zubeda Ukundimana is a chemical and environmental engineer from Rwanda, working as lecturer and environmental impact assessment consultant in Uganda. Her research has focused on assessing the wetland vulnerability to wastewater and developing treatment processes for abating pollutants concentration to protect receiving water bodies. Currently, Zubeda coordinates the North-South Alliance for Inclusive Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (ALL4WASH) — bringing together international partners to confront challenges of water supply and sanitation through mutual cooperation.