Agric writer Dhewa wins global award

VETERAN agricultural writer Charles Dhewa has won an international Knowledge Management Award for his outstanding accomplishments in the research, implementation and innovation of successful management methods for use in the agricultural sector.

Dhewa, who heads the Knowledge Transfer Africa organisation, is the first African to win the award as an individual.

He was recognised for the impact of his work on the development of knowledge in the agricultural sector nationally, regionally and globally.

As a global winner, he received the Columns of Knowledge award — designed by the Austrian artist Helmut Margreiter, 2008.

The Knowledge Management for Development (KM4D) Award is a cooperation of K4DP, Knowledge City and Knowledge Management Austria (KMA).

Its aim is to appreciate and recognise individuals and organisations in knowledge management practices in public bodies, international organisations, big companies and organisations, as well as small and medium enterprises.

Dhewa is a seasoned agricultural writer who has written extensively on various topical agricultural issues.

His works have been published in The Herald and other publications.

“Receiving an award is such a humbling experience that has taken away most of my words for now,” Dhewa said.

“When you work at the intersection of formal and informal economies in Africa as I do, it is often difficult for your work to be noticed.

“African communities have a lot of knowledge, but it takes somebody to lead in mobilising such knowledge into home-grown solutions. At the moment, much of the knowledge is scattered in community experts — the chief has his own knowledge, the rain maker has his own knowledge, the herbalist has his own knowledge and many other repositories of knowledge, including traditions.”

The KM Award winners of 2019 were presented with the awards during the first African Knowledge Management Conference which was held in Nairobi recently.