I had a great experience in Israel. There was a lot to learn not only in Agriculture but also in other aspects of life.
It was a blessing to visit most of the holy sites like Jerusalem- Holy Sepulchre church, Gethsemane, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jericho, River Jordan, Bethany, Sea of Galilee, Red sea, Dead sea, to mention but a few. Visiting these holy places helped me grow spiritually. My faith has been edified.
AGROSTUDIES
Agro-studies is a program that aims at Agriculture capacity building. Its slogan is as follows, ''If you think of one year, sow rice. If you think of ten years, grow orchards. If you think of a hundred years, conduct a training''Food insecurity is a major concern that has attracted global attention. Israel as a state devised a means to share their knowledge and skills to combat food insecurity especially in developing countries, hence the Agrostudies program.
I had an opportunity to live, study and work with students from the Philippines, Tanzania, Ivory coast, Togo, Butan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cameroon, Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Sudan, as well Jews, Arabs, Thai and Eritrean workers.
I have been exposed to applicable, modern, precision and sustainable Agriculture in both horticulture and animal science. Some of the topics handled include dairy farming, modern irrigation technologies, fruit tree farming, plant protection, vegetable farming and green houses, post harvest science, agricultural economics and enterprises, advanced agriculture under international standards, experimental research in Agriculture among others.
In Israel, Agriculture is a booming business. Using their innovative technologies, the Israelis produce high quantity of good quality products out of desert! They work very hard! Time management is very important. They don't waste time at all. The saying, ''time is money'' is very true in Israel! They are united, they work together and they are very patriotic. They have created their own paradise!
They care so much about the environment. It's amazing at the same time challenging to see crops and livestock flourishing in the desert! The methods used in plant protection are friendly to the environment. Their Agricultural products are free from chemical residues and very safe for human consumption according to the international standards. They treasure education, encourage innovation and independency. Our lecturers encouraged us to always think out of the box! “Find a way....................”
Political instability was the major challenge as I lived near Gaza strip! By
God's grace and Israel's tight security we kept safe. This challenge has increased my zeal to pray and work for peace and Justice.
I am grateful to God for being in an international Congregation. My experience of living with different people from various backgrounds as well as international languages especially French helped me to relate very well with others. Hebrew and Arabic were not easy but one had to find a way for self expression! A few words in Hebrew, Arabic plus sign language.... where necessary! Hmmn, it was fun!
It was not easy as there was a lot to cover within a short time. I missed co
I am grateful to God for being in an international Congregation. My experience of living with different people from various backgrounds as well as international languages especially French helped me to relate very well with others. Hebrew and Arabic were not easy but one had to find a way for self expression! A few words in Hebrew, Arabic plus sign language.... where necessary! Hmmn, it was fun!
It was not easy as there was a lot to cover within a short time. I missed co
mmunity so much. All was possible by God's grace, your prayers and support. Amidst all this, I found time for personal prayer, community prayer with the Incarnate Word sisters as well as the nearby Christian communities. I also conducted Christian doctrine instructions for some of the students. This I never expected. God's ways are indeed not our ways. In a nutshell, it was a great and memorable experience!
Sr. Alice Kyasiimire
For a printable version click here
Sr. Alice Kyasiimire
For a printable version click here
