Profile: James Mlamba (Malawi) - 2009 Irish Aid Fellow
James Lewanika Mlamba, from Malawi, was awarded an Irish Aid Fellowship in 2009. His studies at University College Dublin have equipped him to assess the problems in Malawi’s agriculture sector more effectively, and train field staff in up-to-date land and water management techniques.
James Mlamba, a 2009-10 fellow who gained an MSc in Environmental Resource Management, pictured on Dublin's O'Connell Street
James opted to study for a Master of Science in Environmental Resource Management at University College Dublin.
For James the 16-month study programme in UCD was a very deliberate choice:
“I chose this course because it is very relevant to the job I do in Malawi, working in the area of land and water management in the Ministry of Agriculture,” he explains.
“The Fellowship is very important to me because it has given me an opportunity to broaden my understanding of the relationship between agriculture and the environment.”
The course has also given him more insight into how activities outside the agriculture sector can impact on production:
“My job in Malawi involves the training of field staff in land and water management, and the programme has components on soil and water conservation, which is absolutely crucial to my work as a trainer.”
The course, he believes, will enable him to better play his part in combating the problems in Malawi:
“The course has given me new skills – for example the modules on geographical information systems and remote sensing systems will be of huge benefit to me and the Ministry of Agriculture in Malawi.”
About the 2009 Irish Aid Study Fellows
James Mlamba was featured in the 2009 Irish Aid Annual Report as being among those students who received an Irish Aid Fellowship during the year.
The group was diverse, with students from Mozambique to Zambia and from Burundi to Vietnam, participating in a wide range of programmes at third level institutes in Ireland and in their own regions.