This project, funded by Michigan State University’s Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), under the Transforming Institutions Strategic Funding is implemented by Michigan Fellows Agribusiness Initiative (MFAI) Makerere University (Mak), and Michigan State University (MSU)-African Studies Center.
The project features a series of training aimed at deepening the knowledge and sensitivities of participating administrators, faculty, staff and youth leaders on matters of diversity and inclusion. The overarching objective of the project is to increase the representation of categories of people typically marginalized from leadership and decision-making processes such as women, people living with disabilities and youth from low income earning families.
The D&I in leadership and training project is a timely intervention within post or prolonged COVID 19 recovery work environments to bring marginalized groups at the forefront of key decision making as equal partners and allies to institutional transformation.
The consortium partners have a shared vision of making their institutions, departments, and community outreach programs more sensitive to the needs of their members. The institutions are not always keen to involve underrepresented groups including students, women, PWDs, PL-HIV/AIDs, and youth from low-income families in top management planning, strategic decision making and leadership. Marginalized persons are consequently treated as recipients and not equal contributors to institutional affairs. Hence, their needs, views and voices are less heard and/or are silenced. The D&I activities ensure that key stakeholders are trained in D&I. Project participants are expected to use lessons learned to teach, train, and engage their students and community organization in more equitable and inclusive ways.
