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During the first six months of the research project, Dr Mwaijengo conducted field surveys, sampling, and data collection in the Lake Manyara catchment. She completed Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with stakeholders, conducted a comprehensive literature review, and is developing a manuscript (position paper) on Schistosomiasis and Climate Change in Tanzania. Dr Grite Mwaijengo and her team do sampling in Lake Manyara. Project activities are advancing according to plan in sev

During the second quarter of Year 1 (Y1|Q2), the project progressed from establishment to active field execution, data generation, and early analytical insight. Key research activities during this period focused on the implementation and maintenance of field experiments across all study locations. Comprehensive weed data (density and biomass) were collected across treatments, alongside crop data for maize and cowpea, capturing critical growth stages. These datasets represent

Dr Jacob Agyekum continued and completed the ethical clearance application process during this quarter. All required documentation, including the approved survey questionnaire and focus group discussion guides, was finalised and submitted through the online application platform. Delays in correspondence and administrative feedback have delayed the application process. Still, eventually approval was granted, enabling the study to proceed with data analysis and, subsequently,

Dr Tham-Agyekum focused primarily on primary data collection and preliminary analysis during Year 1| Quarter 2. He worked on the survey (quantitative data collection) for farmers, focus group discussions (qualitative data collection) with farmers, and key informant interviews (with the radio station coordinator, traditional leader, religious leader, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture). The Ministry of Food and Agriculture facilitated the identification of farmers and co

Dr Kafula envisaged assessing the acute toxicity of cypermethrin, abamectin, and chlorpyrifos under different temperature and light-exposure scenarios in selected temporary pond species. Following an extended drought and erratic rainfall in Tanzania, collecting experimental animals became challenging, and he needed to map the ponds from which test organisms would be collected. In the meantime, he has procured most of the consumables required for his exposure tests. He will ru

Dr Sarah Otanga has developed the data collection instruments for her research project and had them reviewed by her supervisor and mentor. Piloting of the instruments has also been done. She had identified the study location and the stakeholders for her research, except for three experts from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. She is following up on this. She has onboarded a research assistant who understands the study and what needs to be done. Her first tranche

During the second quarter, the project made substantial progress toward advancing the development and adoption of urine-granulated fertiliser technologies in southern Malawi. Building on the foundations established in the first quarter, the team focused on strengthening scientific outputs, advancing infrastructure readiness, and initiating experimental work. A key milestone was the submission of two research manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals, both of which are currently u

Dr Juliana Cheboi's research seeks to address malnutrition and food insecurity by promoting orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and pigeonpea through behaviour change communication (BCC) and value addition. A comprehensive desktop literature review has been conducted and is currently under review by the authors. Stakeholder and study participant identification and mapping have been completed. She has submitted the project proposal for ethical approval, received the reviewer's

Based on his work plan, Y1|Q2 was dedicated to developing a systematic review paper, developing data collection tools, applying for ethical clearance, and engaging stakeholders preliminarily. So far, a systematic review paper has been designed and submitted to a journal and is currently under review. Data collection tools had been developed and tested, and ethical approval from the University of Dar es Salaam's ethics review board was successfully obtained. Processes for obta

Unmonitored malaria transmission in endemic settings remains a significant contributing factor to sustained disease prevalence and prevents successful disease elimination. The most prevalent species of malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is transmitted between human hosts by the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. These transmissible forms of the parasites are called gametocytes. Gametocytes are physiologically different to the replicative pathogenic stages. Current diagnostic

During Y1|Q2, the research transitioned from preparatory planning into early-stage implementation, with emphasis on field-based activities, stakeholder engagement, and operational readiness. Building on the groundwork laid in Y1|Q1, the focus was on activating the sampling framework, strengthening community linkages, and advancing technical preparations in line with the approved FAR-LeaF II workplan. A significant milestone achieved during this reporting period was the commen

During Y1|Q2, the project focused on the launch and consolidation of the empirical research phase, combining exploratory work, in-depth field investigations, and preparatory scientific outputs. An exploratory study was conducted to refine the study sites, validate research tools, and better understand local livestock systems and land-related constraints. This phase included reconnaissance visits, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with women livestock farme

Dr Ololade Abdulrahman's research is progressing well. The communities to be used were identified, and the project was initiated, highlighting the benefits for the participants. The identification and selection of competent field enumerators for each state were done. Training for field enumerators was organised and conducted to bring them up to speed on the instrument's content and to understand how to fill it out. Trial data collection was conducted, and corrections identifi

During Quarter 2, her research progressed substantially across three interlinked components: climate risk modelling, socio-economic field research, and the establishment of coffee varietal trials to support climate impact modelling. A major scientific output of the quarter was the completion of a full research manuscript on climate change projections for coffee-producing regions of the Ethiopian highlands, using a bias-corrected multi-model ensemble from CMIP6 under the SSP2-

Dr Lefadola visited Justus Liebig University (JLU) in Germany from 9-23 November 2025, to broaden her knowledge of food waste management and upcycling. Also in November 2025, she participated in a conference by the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, where she presented a paper on the "Circular Economy Transitions in Botswana's Agro-Food Systems: A Multidimensional Perspective on Food Waste Reduction", related to her FAR-LeaF project. Furthermore, she participated in the Sys

Dr Ruth Wainaina intended to document the current climate vulnerabilities of the Murang'a people and how they adapt to the changes. With her supervisor's guidance, she was advised to identify key components that hinder/support communication with the people of Murang'a. This called for a comprehensive literature review that highlights the impact of cultural and religious perspectives in communication. Her research, focused on establishing innovative measures of science communi

Dr Maramura developed her research instruments and established her research team. She attended a research visit to Tengeru Institute of Community Development to engage with another FAR-LeaF fellow, Dr Agnes Kapinga, on Community Development and Climate Resilience (22-30 November 2025). She has connected with the City of Cape Town via a Gatekeeper's letter and is awaiting feedback. When the Gatekeepers' letter is approved, an ethical clearance application can be submitted to t

Dr Piwai Tshuma maintained regular communication with her supervisor, mentor, and research assistants to ensure alignment with the project. Her procurement was completed: All consumables for MOF synthesis were delivered at the start of the quarter. Experimental work progressed well: the synthesis of monolithic MOFs was completed. Characterisation using PXRD, TGA, UV-VIS DRS, and FTIR was conducted, with UV-VIS DRS and FTIR performed at UP with mentor support. BET analysis is

Dr Miriam Ameworwor's Y1|Q2 progress was reported as follows: Ethical clearance: The final decision on the ethical clearance application was received via a letter from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Institutional Review Board (CSIR-IRB) on 8th October 2025. Procurement: Most of the equipment, including the weighing scale, has been procured. The process for the water quality meter, the last piece of equipment needed, is ongoing. Community Entry: Commun

During Y1|Q2, the project made substantial progress in institutional coordination, human capacity development, field sampling, experimental establishment, and preparation for genomic analysis. A significant milestone achieved was the actualisation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST). This MoU provides the formal framework for collabor