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Look back to move forward: Town hall keynote presentation
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Presented by Mwihaki Muraguri at the ILRI Institute Planning Meeting, Addis Ababa, 17-19 September 2019
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Look back to move forward: Town hall keynote presentation
- Town hall: Look back to move forward Keynote presentation by Mwihaki Muraguri Paukwa ILRI Institutional Planning Meeting, Addis Ababa, 17-19 September 2019
- Its About People
- A story of eight hooves
- –Nelson Mandela If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
- The Long Tail of Change
- –Margaret Mead Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
- –Sunny Bindra When our work gives us relevance or context we feel part of a bigger deal. And that’s when we do our best work.
- Moving Forward
Editor's Notes
- Introduce yourself - a city girl who came To understand who I was through two sheep
- I may not be a farmer, but I am Still your client.. and my culture is not changing ay time soon, so I and my family will continue to need your support as we continue to celebrate each its of passage with n unfortunate goat or two or five. And so I thank you for your work, for which I benefit from - I thank you on my behalf and on behalf of so many others.. like
- mother of five children Zenebech Abdu from Kalu, a chickn farmer who benefitted from The African Chicken Genetic Gains and Agriculture to Nutrition initiatives and is able not only to feed her famly, but unlock the best nutritional value from her livestock.
- Moussa Akila from Fakara in Niger whose family benefitted from decades of research into integrated farming and livestock management systems, saving them from the never ending cycle of food insecurity that comes with living on the edge of the Sahel.
- Boualee from Ban Nong village in Laos whose farm is on The frontlines of an area that is prone to zoonotic threats. And has benefitted from vets and medics working together under the one health umbrella.
- Shamsa Kosar from Wajir in Kenya - who is part of a livestock insurance system that protects her and her family from fcatarspohic asset loses that lead to poverty. You see we are all intricately connected to the animals in our lives..whether for daily Life, nutrition or celebration. Whether we are urbanites or small holder farmers or herdsmen in waiting.
- Your work preserves not just our livelihoods but also our culture - through your work in labs, offices, in greenhouses. By working in the regions you serve you have found ways to work with The Communities you serve.. finding answers that are meaningful to us, from a point that gives and our heritage dignity and by using a language that speaks To our hearts. I urge you to continue to take pride in that, whether your Station is Addis or Delhi, Hanoi or Nairobi.
- Now that I’ve had a chance to seed a reminder of the people you serve, allow me to tell a story about the power of people committee To an idea. This Story starts in 1988 when a group of scientists committed to understanding the challenges facing dairy farmers began unraveling a little thread trying to understand the nuances of dairy farming in coastal Kenya
- .It took seven years from the first inkling of possibility to the workshop that brought a Series Of actors Together who could move those farmers And many more into opportunity. It took another two years to bring together all the funding needed to start Testing out the pathway for change – training dairy farmers, engaging with informal milk traders, introducing the idea of food safety and handling to milk hawkers.
- It meant a that women Like Virgina Wamatiha from Katito milk Traders could now be an champion for safe milk handling s she went purchasing milk from farm To farm and hawkers like Gabriel Karanja could be assured of an income because the dairy board not just Recognised him but supported his Trade. It meant a move up the livelihood Ladder for an additional 800,000 small holder farmers and their families.
- Today the smallholder Dairies are $34 million industry… that links everyone from small holder gamers with a handful of cows to medium and large scale agro-processors and new market entrants every year. Kenyans have gotten good at yoghurt! But for the tenacity of that small group of researchers 31 who began investigating a problem then ….. perhaps this wouldn’t be a story Could not be told.. they probably never knew where the end of that thread they Started unraveling was, but they were no doubt hopeful that they could use the assets they had as thinkers, as actors in an institution that could convene to bring about a Difference.
- I understand that out of the group of researchers who sat around a desk in Uthiru just over 30 years dreaming possibilities a few are still represented here. Even though many have exited , their ideas, their hope for what transformation could be, the harvest of their tenacity is still among us. It changed the lives of millions and that’s the power that I want to remind you of today… and to Bill Thorpe, Amos Omore, Isabel Baltiwyck and Steve Stall and all your colleagues from the SDP…we thank you for showing what commitment to an idea can be for millions of people who will likely never know the role you played in uplifting their lives.
- As changemakers we find ourselves engaging with the story of our institutions at different points. Some have been part of the ILRI story for ten or even twenty years some have only recently entered from stage left. Some spend all their days in the lab, while others are negotiating daily with government technocrats. Still others know the ILRI that requires millions of dollars to operate each year And are constantly thinking about how to raise or save money, while others are tasked with taking are of one of the loveliest work environments I’ve had the pleasure of Seeing.
- Often it feels like the story of the six blind men of Hindustan who were all touching an elephant and described it completely differently – one Standing by the side of the elephant claimed it was like a wall, another held the tusk and said its very like a spear, while another felt its knee And claimed it was a tree. While none was wrong, none was completely right. You see they all had a different perspective, much like those who have known the institution in times of donor security, or in the throes of change management, or on the cusp of a new business focused model. None are completely right but none are completely wrong in their estimation of who the institution is – we all know our perspective, but need to leave room to understand and appreciate they who see the trunk or the tusk. You have the opportunity to step back over the next Few days, and join with others to have clarity of full sight.. what a mighty and majestic creature you will see. One whose weight and wisdom can be a beacon for others, one that stands taller than anything else in its kingdom.. that is who this institute is.
- As I’ve looked at the various posters shared here today, I am struck by the alignment to mission that is felt here. I want to urge you to not take it lightly – to be able to work in an institution where one feels that they are part of a bigger picture is not a common thing. Most of us who have found our self in the work of changing lives do so because we’re sold out on the mission, on the idea of having the hours of our days matter. We are the lucky ones - we are the ones ho get to go beyond success and into significance and I urge you to leap into that opportunity each and every day.
- As each and every one of your staff moves forward into mission – into changing the lives of farmers, of consumers, of traders, hawkers, herdsmen, village elders, children, mothers and and yes even brides and Grooms. My hope and prayer for you all .. as you take on big ideas, as you use science and Research as a tool for social justice as we’ve witnessed in your work that has enabled African governments to have a voice in discussions on our contribution to climate change; As you reframe on a global scale the narrative of smallholder livestock owners and dependents in a way that is truly borne of the places you work in Asia and Africa. As you undertake science that is fit for purpose because of being deeply Aware of the intimate connection of people and their animals as it relates to the sweat of their brow, cognisant of the informality of our economic systems and keeping in mind the hope it holds for our children,
- my hope is that the long night of Transformation will not be too daunting, that you will not give-up in the pursuit of change and that you will continue to power through mission from the unique perspective of each thread that each person brings while keeping in mind that you have at your disposal the whole elephant - the whole of the ILRI system and that breakthrough is a heartbeat away.
- And so as I conclude, allow me to read a short excerpt from one of my favourite writers - Dr Seuss… Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go. On and on you will hike, And I know you'll hike far and conquer the /worlds problems whatever they are. You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) So... be your name Annet or Michael or Emily Susan Tsion Braja or Jimmy, You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain awaits you So…now go on your way
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