A fund to help sponsor delegates from lower income countries to attend the ISVA (International Sheep Veterinary Association) Congresses. In 2023, the Karl Linklater Fund was able to help support two delegates from Malawi and Rwanda to attend the ISVA Congress in Seville, Spain. The Fund aims to help advance the knowledge and skills in sheep health and production throughout the developing world, by sponsoring delegates from lower income countries.
Innocent Nkangala, Malawi
“The conference was the first of its kind that I have ever attended in my 29 year long career. It exposed me to a lot of research studies being conducted in the field of small ruminants, the latest innovations and technologies in drugs, vaccines, and disease prevention. Other than the networking established with various service providers, scientists and farmers in general, the paper that I presented at the conference also attracted lots of interest from various publishers who have so far reached out to me to contribute on various topics in their journals or books being written, including: Intech Open – the world’s leading publisher of open access books; Journal of Ethology &Amp Animal Sciencie (JEASc); International Development Research Centre (IDRC-CRDI) and Acaudio.
The exposure also challenged me to explore more innovations and technologies that will help Malawian farmers to get the best out of the small ruminant value chain which has enormous potential to contribute towards the transformation of the livelihoods of most rural Malawians particularly now that the country needs more resilience against the effects of climate change.”
Denis Majymabere, Rwanda
“With the support of the amazing team at ISVC, l was able to receive the financial support of 2450 USD, that l needed to cover my logistic expenses towards attending the 10thInternational Sheep Veterinary Congress. The conference was a life-changing experience to cherish forever. I enjoyed every moment while in Sevilla and most specially the amazing people l met, who reenergized my dedication to reimagining research, dedicated to small ruminants and the value of these animals in Rwanda. It was so amazing to see and hear about various small ruminant research activities going on around the world and how they are improving the health and lives of all stakeholders involved in the small ruminant industry worldwide. The conference helped me learn and witness how goats and sheep are valuable to global meat production and livestock/human health. Small ruminants are often undervalued in various African communities including my home country; however, it was amazing to experience how they are valued in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and in The Pacific. Attending the conference enabled me to fly to Europe for the first time, and as a PhD student, l was able to practice my research presentation skills as well.”
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