MY CV

Posted on by Rita Otu

RITA OTU-S CV

 

RITA ROBERT OTU
42 Dibue Road.
Ikot Ekpene,
Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria.
+2347062932824
Email: ritarobert@beauhavenfarms.com.ng
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritaotu
PERSONAL STATEMENT: A highly talented agricultural professional with experience spanning more than ten
years in farm, peace building and conflict resolution. I am a qualified and experienced peace building and
development specialist, capable of providing technical support, oversight, direct assistance, and management of
conflict prevention programs. I am a keen learner willing to adapt to new contexts and work well within multicultural teams. My practical knowledge is in building agricultural programs and services such as marketing services;
and agricultural research operations in support of research and extension services as well as excellent
communication and interpersonal skills.
Key Accomplishments
 Selected as a participant for the Advancing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment: Online Training in
Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy, sponsored by UNDP and UNITAR from 54 African countries.
 Selected as one of the 17 women participants from 163 applications for the Global Women in Management (GWIM 73)
training in Washington, DC, USA.
 Awarded Volunteer of the year awards, 2023 from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom for demonstrating
the greatest effort towards promoting the agriculture community and ending hunger.
 Selected as one of the 150 participants from 16,000 applications for the 2023 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs
(AWE) trained by U.S. Mission Nigeria.
 Awarded 1000 dollars in 2022 for my work in ending hunger in Nigeria by WWSF Geneva, Switzerland.
 Reached 50,000 smallholder farmers through Peace building campaign.
 Established Girls Farmers’ Club in 5 secondary schools in Nigeria.
 Introduced 500 women farmers to digital agriculture.
 Launched the first 50,000 Nutri-gardens in Nigeria.
EDUCATION
Post Graduate Diploma on Peace Building and Conflict Transformation (in view), 2024
Makerere University, Kampala. Uganda
Harvard Online
Food Systems Live! Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies. A Verified Certificate. March, 2023. A course of
study offered by HarvardX, an online learning initiative of Harvard University
Certified Gender Equality Changemaker. September, 2023
Digital Frontiers Institute (DFI), University of Pretoria
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town,
MSc. International Development: Economics and Management of Rural Development. Sept, 2007.
The University of Manchester. Manchester. United Kingdom.
BSc. Agric. Economics/Extension, June, 2004. University of Calabar – Calabar, Nigeria
Second Class Upper Division (2:1)
PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE
People Environment and Sustainability Foundation
Regional Coordinator, 03/2013 till present
 Implement a wide range of awareness raising and training activities for representatives from civil society
organizations, ministries and donor agencies in Nigeria.
 Engaged in an online discussion to various campaigns and initiatives to support fifty percent of
farmers-herders empowerment in agriculture.
 Developed training manuals and undertake community based small arms control and demilitarization
programmes.
Semek Gallus Farms
Program Officer, 1/2012 till 2013, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
 Assist in the organization and facilitation of round-tables and seminars on effective engagement
in fragile local governments.
 Develop campaign frameworks and forge lobby agenda collaboratively with multiple stakeholders
and farmer groups.
 Led club meetings with three other executive members and recruited members to join the Peace
building hub.
ENENE AKONJOM FOUNDATION (EAF)
Trainer of Women in climate change and food security, 4/2007 – 12/2012, Abuja, Nigeria
 Assisted in training women on environment and governance.
 Organized guest lectures featuring several prominent researchers in the field of environment and
Climate Change.
 Participated in 40 hours of training to develop counseling technique and motivation interviewing
skills for emerging peace makers.
NYSC -Agricultural Officer, 03/2005-03/2006, Ministry of Agriculture Kano, Nigeria
 Served as a supervisor and mentor to junior agriculture staff.
 Served as a technical resource and advisor, providing analysis of different agricultural methods to local
farmers.
 Communicated and collaborated with research mentor to identify challenges faced by farmers and develop
solutions for them.
INTERESTS/AWARDS
 Music, Football
 Club: Member of Manchester Alumni society.
 Volunteer of the Year Award, 2023(VOYA). University of Manchester. Manchester
 Food and Land Use (FOLU) Ambassador
 Trust conference Changemaker, 2021
 Mentorship training by Google Start-up for SDGs, 2020
 QS-Wharton Reimagine Education Awards, Finalist, 2019
 Sustainable Development Solutions Network(SDSN), UN Winner, 2019
 Study UK British Alumni Awards, 2018
 Cherie Blair Foundation Mentee Alumni, 2017
FELLOWSHIP
 GWIM Fellow organised by Counterpart International.
 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE).
 Trust Conference Changemaker, 2021 organised by Thomas Reuters Foundation. United Kingdom
PUBLICATIONS
 Food systems Working paper(https://www.sdsnyouth.org/files-resources-events/food-systems-workingpaper)
 The Cookbook in Support of the United Nations: For People and Planet
(https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-cookbook-in-support-of-the-united-nations-for-people-and-planet-kitchenconnection/book/9781641705844.html)
REFEREES
Available on Request

NUTRI-MEAL FOR PEACE: PROMOTING HEALTH AND PEACE, ONE PLATE AT A TIME

Posted on by Rita Otu

Nutri- Meal for peace

Nutri- Meal for peace  uses food to help the people that have been affected by the poor situations that they are in. Nutri-Meal for Peace engages in a range of efforts that aim to resolve injustice in nonviolent ways and to transform the cultural and structural conditions that generate violent or destructive conflict. We believe it’s always possible to dialogue through problems and struggles than to choose violence -which always create more problems and harm.

Ring The Bell And Feed The Hungry-Rita Robert Otu.

Posted on by beauhaven

Today it is more evident than ever that closing the gender gap in agricultural productivity could potentially lift hundreds of thousands of girls and women out of poverty and hunger and address losses in economic growth opportunities.

When I ring a bell it means girls and women, youth, children, this is a great opportunity of us to gather, confront our fears about hunger, and create awareness and education around the topic of food insecurity and climate change and renew our commitment to action.

Through increasing students’ knowledge of food systems, we empower them to take an active role in combating hunger.” “When i ring a bell it means we are all seeds, let us grow and eat together.

When I ring a bell it means girls and women, youth, children, this is a great opportunity of us to gather, confront our fears about hunger, and create awareness and education around the topic of food insecurity and climate change and renew our commitment to action.

Through increasing students’ knowledge of food systems, we empower them to take an active role in combating hunger.

#onemilliongirlsonemilliongains
#ringthebellandfeedthehungry
#hungerbell
#ICSSItak

Rita Enterpeneurship Day(RED)

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Rita Entrepreneurship Day (RED). RED is a fun, experiential program that teaches young girls and women how to start, own and operate their very own business.

Our program inspires young girls in times like this to have an entrepreneurial mindset to overcome adversity and achieve their dreams .

RED will expose girls and women to the different aspects of entrepreneurship and our mentorship platform BigSistah Meetups which provides after school mentoring opportunities in underserved communities.

BigSistah aim to build an inclusive workforce by connecting girls and women to provide fresh perspectives and insights on their culture and business issues.

Girls and women are not the future. They are the present
The BigSistah Academy is advantageous for young people because:


1. Many young people (particularly those experiencing disadvantage) are amongst the beneficiaries,


2. Young girls already form a large proportion of those interested in developing start-ups,


3. Young people are more likely to have skills in aspects of information and communications technologies.

Women Agricultural Extension Services (WAGES) MOBILE

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“In today’s increasingly connected world, women are being left behind. A significant gender gap in mobile phone ownership and usage in low-and middle-income countries is hindering growth for the mobile industry and means women are missing out” –RITA ROBERT OTU.

Women Agricultural Extension Services (WAGES) MOBILE is an ICT based mobile platform – which brings all agric offerings for small farmers under one roof. It connects small farmers to their various needs – Seeds, fertilizers, equipment, crop advisory & market linkage of agric produce.

Our mission is to support our women farmers to increase food security and increase financial inclusion. Furthermore, Wages mobile approach is to “re-imagine” the agricultural value chain. We use digital technology to empower the farmers we source from as well as vendors we deliver the goods to. Moreover, Wages mobile is cooperating with financial-service providers who rely on digital devices.

We are about to start our e-commerce platform which will allow informal grocers to place orders, network with vendors, view their order history and plan future orders. We plan on using DRONE technology to teach women farmer’s agric technology.

Our objectives are:
• Bring together proven e-agriculture solutions that will benefit women;
• Share knowledge on successful e-agriculture solutions and identifying ways of scaling up implementations at national level and Strengthen Community e-agriculture solutions with women farmers. So far reaching over 20,000 smallholder farmers across in Nigeria over the last 3 years with relevant information has improved the entrepreneurial success.

DESCRIPTION and SCALABILITY
This is an IT-based extension service delivery system that involves recording best practices and innovations along specific agricultural value chains that are used as teaching aid in rural areas. The approach will enable farmers to obtain a comprehensive view of the value chains they engage in and appreciate the central role they occupy and how it is linked to other value chain players.

WAGES mobile helps to transform rural smallholder farmers into successful entrepreneurs by delivering data and services that improve productivity, decisions, practices, crop outputs, income and livelihoods, leading to employment opportunities and increased income.

• Empowering farmers through education, knowledge and improved income from better agricultural practices and market information.

• Providing localized data that increase farmer’s ability to adapt to climate changes, increasingly unpredictable periods of rain and drought as well as showing agricultural best practices.

• Enabling inventory tracking that reduces inefficiencies and wasted crops.

• Reaching 20,000 smallholder farmers across in Nigeria over the last 3 years with relevant information to improve women farmers’ entrepreneurial success.
Delivering data and services that improve productivity, decision on planting and harvest, agricultural practices, crop outputs, income and livelihoods of rural farmer

Please describe how and where this project is replicable.

By providing funding and deep technical expertise to service providers, we support scalable commercial digital solutions that impact women, smallholder farmers and the agricultural industry at large.

Please describe how this project is sustainable.

Wages mobile works with mobile operators and their partners to address the barriers to women accessing extension services. Together we can unlock this substantial market opportunity for the mobile industry, deliver significant socioeconomic benefits and transform women’s lives. When women thrive, societies, businesses and economies thrive.

How does this project promote SDGs values in your community?

WAGES Mobile promotes SDG’s values in terms of providing a forum for information exchange, knowledge creation and sharing of best practices, while identifying emerging trends and fostering partnerships, taking into account the evolving Information and Knowledge Societies to make communication information a global space.

In line with SDG goals this project is to reduce the gender gap in digital agriculture and unlock significant commercial and socio-economic opportunities for women farmers to reduce inequality in the society. Through an innovative approach to financing, training, collateral, and the identification, delivery, and installation of vital assets,

WAGES mobile provides women farmers with key tools to spur growth.

Please describe the qualitative and quantitative economic, social and environmental impact of the project.

WAGES mobile helps to transform rural smallholder farmers especially women into successful entrepreneurs by delivering data and services that improve productivity, decisions, practices, crop outputs, income and livelihoods, leading to employment opportunities and increased income.

• Empowering 50,000 farmers through education, knowledge and improved income from better agricultural practices and market information.

• Providing localized data that increase farmer’s ability to adapt to climate changes, increasingly unpredictable periods of rain and drought as well as showing agricultural best practices.

• Enabling inventory tracking that reduces inefficiencies and wasted crops.

• Reaching 50,000 smallholder farmers across in Nigeria over the last 3 years with relevant information to improve women farmers’ entrepreneurial success.
Delivering data and services that improve productivity, decision on planting and harvest, agricultural practices, crop outputs, income and livelihoods of rural farmer

Beau Haven Farms participates in MIT’s 2019 Global Challenges .

Posted on by beauhaven

We need your help: We just submitted a solution @ MIT’s 2019 Global Challenges and now we need your feedback to help us improve our application. Please first of all create an account and login in and write your comments. Our project is Nutri-Garri: Local Solutions to end Malnutrition in Nigeria

PLEASE VISIT THIS> LINK TO VOTE FOR US