Global Development Institute staff and alumni recognised for their commitment to social responsibility

Alumni winner Rita Robert Otu has been helping fight hunger and empower local farmers, in particular women, in her home country Nigeria since she graduated with an MSc in International Development (Economics and Management of Rural Development) in 2007.

Rita grew up in a community that suffered from poor nutrition, specifically a lack of vitamin A. UNICEF estimates that at least one in two children under 5 years old suffer from this ‘hidden hunger’ due to nutritional deficiencies in Nigeria.

But she has returned home an “assertive, pragmatic, go getter” to found Beau Haven Farms, a social enterprise that empowers communities to address malnutrition and lack of economic opportunity with environmentally sustainable farms.

Rita, a United Nations Empower Women Global Champion, has also led the initiative ‘Uforo Iban Uto Inwang (#She’s Empowered Through Agriculture) to enable 50,000 women, especially widows, to build their financial and entrepreneurial skills and self-confidence to start their own commercial cassava farms. And she has volunteered with HarvestPlus Nigeria, raising awareness of good nutrition and farming opportunities at an event attended by 5,000 Nigerians.
 

Making a Difference Awards

Outstanding teaching innovation in social responsibility 
Muungano-Community Savers-GDI Teaching Alliance, Decolonising development pedagogies while supporting inclusive development practice 

This project involved co-producing a series of teaching innovations to decolonise development studies teaching and give students first-hand insight into the strategies and practices of community activists fighting for more inclusive urban development in Manchester, Kenya and Uganda. It offers critical balance to traditional pedagogies that prioritise engagement with development theories and professional practice by bringing unheard voices into the classroom. These teaching innovations have simultaneously paved the way for the Global Development Institute to help facilitate and support the emergence of a new network of women’s savings groups across Manchester and Sheffield, thus strengthening global urban development practice.

Outstanding social innovation and environmental impact 
Malavika Krishnan, One thing that should never be taken away from you is your education! 

This project aimed to ensure that inequalities and the pandemic aren’t a reason for poor learning outcomes. It supported government school students who are discriminated against in schools and receive insufficient pedagogical attention, to ensure that the pandemic does not exacerbate these existing inequalities. As part of Chalo Padhe Online, this project supported 200 girls and students from lower-income families in Delhi with school supplies, smartphones, internet packages and specialised online learning programmes.