If you educate a whole family it follows that a nation will be educated; women bare, sucker and most often are the prime educators of children. Many women, in the developing world, would increase their propensity to educate if they had greater access to livestock ownership and all the benefits it would inevitably produce.

Recently I visited the ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute) APM (Annual Program Meeting) for 2010. The event was held on the Addis Abba campus; a lively and well attended event, with over 200 people from all over the world, who convened to debate the “goods” and “bads” of livestock.  Many ILRI scientists, researchers and partners from the development sector, both private and governmental, including donors, took part in some seminars and debates on various topics. Not having any scientific background myself, (artist and English teacher), I was nevertheless interested and fascinated by the sheer vibrancy of the seminar sessions and the plethora of information available on specific aspects of livestock research which ILRI produces. Some topics discussed were livestock health, biosciences in Africa and geographical information systems tools and resources.

Read more … (Ethiopian Reporter)