When Thierry Niyigena joined One Acre Fund as an expert intern two years in the past, he anticipated to achieve sensible expertise required to finish his research on the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA).
The six-month internship, nevertheless, turned a turning level that helped him resolve farmers’ challenges and safe a everlasting function on the agricultural organisation.
The 26-year-old, who specialised in crop manufacturing programs, joined One Acre Fund, a social enterprise that gives smallholder farmers in East Africa with financing and agricultural coaching companies.
“I selected One Acre Fund as a result of it had one thing aligned with what I studied as a result of I did my specialisation in crop manufacturing programs,” Niyigena mentioned.
“After I obtained there, I felt shy as a result of I used to be an intern, however the different employees handled me as an worker, and never like an intern. The combination was not troublesome due to the work surroundings,” he added.
Niyigena shared his expertise on Friday, July 17, 2026, in the course of the fourth RICA Job Honest in Kigali, which introduced collectively college students, employers and companions to strengthen hyperlinks between academia and trade.
The expertise of graduates like Niyigena displays RICA’s give attention to sensible coaching and trade engagement. In keeping with information from RICA, 86 per cent of graduates from its first three cohorts are both employed, self-employed, enterprise skilled internships or pursuing grasp’s research.
For RICA graduates, the skilled internship is a chance to use classroom information to actual agricultural challenges and exhibit their skill to develop sensible options.
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Throughout his internship at One Acre Fund, Niyigena investigated declining demand for vegetable seeds provided by the organisation. By means of farmer consultations and analysis, he discovered that farmers wished hybrid seed varieties as a substitute of Open-Pollinated Selection (OPV) seeds.
“Farmers complained that One Acre Fund was producing Open-Pollinated Selection (OPV) seed varieties, whereas they wished hybrid ones. That was one of many causes the variety of farmers who most popular One Acre Fund was reducing. I labored on the report and submitted it to the crew, and an answer was discovered,” he mentioned.
His capstone challenge targeted on one other problem affecting vegetable farmers: post-harvest losses.
To assist farmers protect greens after lacking market days, Niyigena developed a zero-energy cooling chamber utilizing charcoal and water, permitting greens to stay recent for as much as 10 days with out electrical energy.
“I used to be pondering, can there be an answer that may assist the farmer in the event that they miss one market day? A minimum of they’ll retailer their merchandise someplace and get an opportunity to attend the subsequent market with recent greens with out them being spoiled,” he defined.
The challenge impressed his supervisors and later helped him safe employment at One Acre Fund.
“I introduced that challenge as a result of I used to be a junior and it was the one challenge I had labored on. Fortunately, it was profitable. I introduced it, and the panel was pleased with the challenge and the way I answered what they requested,” he mentioned.
As we speak, Niyigena works as a crop varieties researcher at One Acre Fund, the place he research farmers’ wants, assessments crop varieties and recommends seeds that may enhance productiveness.
“If a farmer has a sure seed selection that produces three tonnes per hectare, and we provide you with one other selection that may produce 5 tonnes beneath the identical circumstances, the farmer advantages from two additional tonnes per hectare,” he mentioned.
He credit RICA’s sensible method for getting ready him for skilled work.
“At RICA, we didn’t solely examine analysis strategies. We went to the sector, planted completely different varieties ourselves, collected information day after day till harvesting, analysed it and introduced related initiatives. That transitioned from teachers into skilled work,” he mentioned.
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Sensible studying shaping careers
Niyigena is amongst RICA graduates whose sensible coaching has helped them simply transition into the agriculture sector.
Divine Chloe Mukamisha, 22, who specialised in meals processing programs, accomplished her internship at Griffith Meals, the place she gained expertise in product improvement and meals options.
She mentioned RICA’s hands-on method helped her develop abilities past classroom studying.
“My journey at RICA was fascinating. It was a brand new journey for me to check agriculture, to enter the sector, to take advantage of cows and do agricultural practices. Through the three years, I discovered rather a lot and purchased completely different abilities and hands-on experiences,” she mentioned.
Her capstone challenge concerned creating fortified stew seasonings containing iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin A to assist handle micronutrient deficiencies.
“Individuals devour stew day-after-day. Rwanda’s delicacies will not be used to consuming dry meals. So, I wished to see how we are able to use one thing folks devour day-after-day to ship micronutrients that they lack,” she mentioned.
Mukamisha mentioned RICA’s method ensured college students apply what they study.
“At RICA, we’re not given concept solely. We work on what we examine. If you’re taught one thing, you apply it,” she mentioned.
Trade values RICA graduates
Employers say RICA graduates stand out due to their skill to mix technical information with sensible abilities and assist craft options to current issues.
Angelique Kibango, Nation Director of Ripple Impact Rwanda, mentioned the organisation has employed 4 former RICA college students due to their skill to work immediately with farmers.
“They’re properly educated by way of conservation agriculture. They’re properly educated by way of animal manufacturing and method. So, after we host them on the sector, we use them to coach farmers. And that’s particularly the distinctiveness of RICA’s intervention,” she mentioned.
She added that sensible abilities are important in bettering agricultural productiveness.
“The enterprise we’re doing, we wish to see farmers enhance productiveness. And for them, as a result of the vast majority of them by no means went to highschool, they wish to do follow. So, RICA college students know easy methods to work together with farmers by way of follow. That is among the options that may assist farmers enhance productiveness,” she mentioned.
Jean Claude Kayisinga, Deputy Chancellor in control of Institutional Improvement at RICA, mentioned partnerships with trade assist college students achieve publicity to actual agricultural programs.
“As we speak's Job Honest builds on that partnership. It offers a chance so that you can work together immediately with our graduating class, perceive their capabilities, and determine potential expertise on your organisations,” he advised members.
“Equally, it provides our college students the chance to study from trade leaders, perceive employer expectations, increase their skilled networks, and discover thrilling profession alternatives,” he added.
Kayisinga mentioned RICA is increasing its coaching mannequin, with its Bachelor of Science programme set to transition from three years to 4 years starting subsequent educational yr to offer college students with deeper educational and sensible preparation.
Organised yearly, the RICA Job Honest is a part of the Institute’s profession improvement efforts. It connects final-year college students with key gamers within the agriculture sector. Thus, they meet potential employers, construct skilled networks, and discover profession alternatives that match their pursuits and coaching.
For employers and companions, the occasion offers entry to gifted, well-trained graduates who’re able to contribute to the expansion of their organisations and the transformation of Rwanda’s agriculture sector.
