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HERS-EA 10th Anniversary

Select Achievements of HERS-EA since August 5, 2014:

  • • Set up a HERS-EA Governance Structure (including the Executive Committee - at the East African Regional Secretariat at Makerere University, Uganda, Country offices, and the Board) that has managed HERS-EA activities since its inception.
    • Obtained small grants from Mississippi State University ($114,000) for training two rural women’s groups in Uganda in Business skills and making re-usable sanitary pads, including training trainers and developing a culture-sensitive HERS- EA Curriculum.
    • With support of Auburn University and Mississippi State University, HERS-EA Executive participated in the Tuskegee/Auburn University Women’s Leadership conference at Auburn University, Alabama (Feb 2016).
    • Attended and presented at the 2016 Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC) conference at University of Nebraska, Omaha (October 2016) and received an award for Best Overall Poster.
    • Published two peer-reviewed papers (Khaitsa et al, 2017 and Lumutenga et al, 2017).
    • Presented several abstracts at conferences. Three abstracts each year have been accepted and presented at ESC 2017, September 24-27, 2017,
    at Birmingham, Alabama, ESC 2018, September 30-October 3, 2018 at Minneapolis, MN and ESC 2019, October 6-9, 2019 at Denver, CO. One abstract was presented at the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) 2019, June 23- 26 at St. Louis, MO.
    • Writing a Book "Reimagining Women Leadership Through Inclusive Community Engagement: HERS-EA" by Peter Lang Publishing Inc - due 2023
    • With support from several higher education institutions in East Africa, the USA (e.g. Columbus State Univ., East Carolina Univ., Mississippi State Univ., Texas State Univ., Troy Univ.) and Canada (Lakehead University), the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th HERS-EA Academies were offered on July 2-6, 2018, June 30-July 5, 2019, July 5-11, 2020 (in Uganda) and July 4-7, 2022 at University of Nairobi, Kenya, respectively. Over 200 women in HEIs have been trained. Detailed reports of each ACADEMY are available at the HERS-EA website (www.HERSEA.org).
    • Developed collaborations with women researchers at HEIs in East Africa and the US to publish a HERS-EA journal. Mississippi State University has offered to host the journal. This will create opportunities for HERS-EA Alumni to publish.
    • Established HERS-EA Country offices in Ethiopia (MOU signed with Mekelle University), and Tanzania (MOU signed with Sokoine. University of Agriculture). Establishment of other country offices is in progress.
    • Established links with grassroots women, leading to production of reusable sanitary pads in two districts in Eastern Uganda (Bulambuli and Butaleja). Diversification from sanitary pads into Poultry production has transformed livelihoods in over 70 homesteads and registration of a Cooperative, in Bulambuli.
    • Submitted several grants to funding agencies.