Dr. Catherine Nakalembe was going about her normal duties when she received a phone call informing her that she had won the 2020 Africa Food Prize alongside Burkina Faso’s Dr. André Bationo. Nakalembe, a Ugandan researcher, was awarded for helping improve the lives of smallholder farmers by using satellite technology to harness data to guide agricultural decision-making.
“Her work in this area has helped prevent potentially disastrous impacts of crop failure. Her relentless efforts have also promoted the formulation of policies and programs that are directly impacting farmers against the impacts of food failure,” the Africa Food Prize said at the time.
“When I called my family, my sister thought I was being scammed,” Nakalembe told the BBC after former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo had called to congratulate her on her win. “My mother said the same thing she always says whenever I achieve something: ‘Webale kusoma’ (‘thank you for studying hard’ in Luganda).
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