Havener-Dowswell Scholarship Fund
This program will financially support women pursuing degrees in the fields of agriculture, specially, but not limited to agriculture extension in Africa. Women are key producers of agriculture in Africa, yet most of the government agriculture extension agents are men and don’t provide sufficient support to women farmers. More women professionals will be able to lift up female farmers in agriculture, helping them access knowledge, inputs and resources. Scholarships offer a simple and effective way to change the number of women qualified to join the agriculture field and agriculture extension agents.
In the long term, more farmers will have access to better agricultural technology and production information which will increase agricultural production and incomes, and reduce poverty and hunger. Also, more women active in agricultural extension will provide role models for young women and girls to follow into the field, increasing the number of women extension agents and further expanding the impact of the scholarships.
This scholarship is named after two dedicated friends and colleagues with close relations with Nobel Laureate, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug. Robert Havener, Winrock’s first president, had a long illustrious career in agriculture. Robert and his wife, Elizabeth Havener felt strongly that to improve development in Africa, women needed access to education. Christopher Dowswell was the aide-de-camp Dr. Borlaug for more than 30 years and was committed to the idea that agriculture had a significant role in improving people’s lives. Both men worked tirelessly for Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) supporting smallholder farmers and particularly agricultural extension.