Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute

Vidah Yosia Mahava is a Senior Research Officer under Technology Transfer and Partnership Unit in Mikocheni Agricultural Research Centre under the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute in the Ministry of Agriculture.  Vidah is a Certified Knowledge Manager for Sustainable Development and also The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) Focal Person, which she set up to foster foresight technology transfer and partnership among stakeholders of different gender categories in Tanzania and beyond. Vidah strongly believes that investing in Africa’s farmers of different gender categories to be future oriented will empower them to shape their personal futures and that of their communities on the continent. Vidah has an MSc and BSc in Agricultural Education and Extension from Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania.  These programmes have made her capable of planning and managing agricultural projects and extension services to benefit different stakeholders. Vidah received a solid grounding in all areas related to agriculture, extension, education, information, natural science, social science, products and production, horticulture and other areas.  She also typically learn to develop competence in the areas of communications and leadership, design, operation and philosophy of agricultural and environmental education programs, and in research and evaluation processes. Her research was key on Social capital (operationalizing this is groups and networks in communities). She also have attended different training, workshops, short courses on Extension, Information Communication Knowledge Management, Gender, Leadership and management in agriculture. She has undergone different training on qualitative and quantitative research from different institutions and have good experience on participatory research methods and tools. 

Vidah has been appointed to be a Gender Focal Point where she lead a Task Force Team to implement gender issues in the division and later in the institution. The appointment exposed her to work with The Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children Task Force Team which its mission is to promote community development, gender equality, and equity and children rights through the formulation of policies, strategies and guidelines in collaboration with stakeholders active in the country. Vidah has also trained policy makers, decision makers, researchers, farmers and pupils on gender aspects under different projects like African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), The East African Agricultural Productivity Programme (EAAPP), The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Kilimo Trust and Sustainable Intensification of the Maize-Legume cropping system for food security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA). She is a member of the Tanzania Association of Women in Leaders in Agriculture and Environment (TAWLAE), Alumni for Graduates of the Mid-career Agricultural Extension Programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture and Kifungilo Alumni.