Tribute to Prof. Julia Gitobu

Tribute to the Late Prof. Julia Gitobu – Former AWLAE Regional Program Director and AWLAE-Net first Chairperson

Prof. Julia Gitobu first came into contact with the African Women Leaders in Agriculture and Environment (AWLAE) in 1993. The occasion was the first Leadership for Change (LfC) training where Julia played the role of a trainer. To date over 1500 have gone through this training.

At the close of this first Leadership for Change training, the Kenya Professional Association for Women in Agriculture and Environment (KEPAWAE) was founded. Because of her past involvement in professional associations and ability to manage organizational funds, Prof. Gitobu was elected KEPAWAE’s first Treasurer. In addition, she was later nominated a member of the Kenya National Advisory Committee (NAC) of the AWLAE Program representing KEPAWAE.

As a member of the National Advisory Committee of AWLAE, Prof. Gitobu’s experience as a trainer, teacher, educationalist and her personal commitment to social justice for women, contributed a lot towards the growth of AWLAE.

Prof. Gitobu took over as the Regional Director of AWLAE on 1st July 2000. During her service in the program, through the support of Ford Foundation a total of 95 scholarships to support PhDs, Masters and Bachelors degrees were awarded. Through her stewardship the program received funding from the Dutch government to support a further 20 PhD scholars. Scholars referred to her as their mother who fought it out for them especially during their admission to universities in the West. They have vowed to successfully complete PhD’s in honor of the tireless and indiscriminate commitment and support from Prof. Gitobu.

In her position as the Regional Director for East Africa, Julia gave technical and management support to the Tanzania Women Leaders in Agriculture and Environment Association (TAWLAE) and Uganda Professional Women in Agriculture and Environment (AUPWAE), both aimed at improving the visibility and professional growth of the members strengthening their ability to contribute to the social and economic development of their countries.

In 2006, Julia supported the program on part-time basis to oversee the scholarship programme and facilitate the registration of a Pan African NGO, a “Network of Women in Agriculture and Environment” (AWLAE-Net) to which she became the Interim Chairman until her demise. AWLAE-Net immensely misses Prof. Julia Gitobu because of what she was to us: a friend, a mother, a teacher, a mentor, and an adviser; warm and friendly with a helping hand to the needy, a person full of energy and commitment to serve the society, and especially on matters of social justice for women.

May the Lord rest her soul in eternal peace!