Hillside Green CEO Eunice Mwongera’s selection as a Norman Borlaug International
Agricultural Science and Technology Fellow was a major milestone for our company. The
USDA’s Borlaug Fellowship Program is designed to foster food security and economic growth by
giving developing-country agriprofessionals targeted training and research opportunities. For
eight intensive weeks, Eunice worked one-on-one with mentors at a leading U.S. research
institution, gaining knowledge on cutting-edge agricultural science and agribusiness practices.

The program’s structure closely matched our goals for capacity building. As the USDA
describes, Borlaug Fellows are early- to mid-career scientists and practitioners who spend 8–12
weeks abroad working with U.S. experts. Eunice joined other participants from around the
world, many of whom were women scientists: in one recent year, more than half of the
Fellowships went to women researchers from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These women
(studying everything from biotechnology to soil management) benefited from focused
mentorship at universities and government labs. Eunice’s involvement echoed this trend: she
immersed herself in a U.S. research project (for example, learning advanced greenhouse
climate control and post-harvest technologies) under the guidance of university mentors.

During her fellowship Eunice attended workshops and field work designed “to equip … graduate
students with the multidisciplinary tools needed to solve real-world development challenges with
global food security”. In fact, a Purdue University account of a Borlaug Summer Institute
emphasizes that participants are trained on exactly these challenges. In practical terms, Eunice
mastered skills such as optimizing crop management for higher yields, integrating food safety
measures, and analyzing market trends. She also visited U.S. farms and companies, observing
supply-chain practices firsthand. These experiences broadened her perspective on how
smallholder agriculture can sustainably scale up.

The knowledge gained is already shaping our work. Upon returning to Kenya, Eunice
spearheaded new initiatives: she introduced a refined irrigation scheduling system (learned
during her fellowship) that has increased vegetable yields by 15%. We also began pilot projects
on cold-chain packing, applying HACCP principles she studied. Importantly, the fellowship
emphasized gender inclusion in science – a principle Eunice carries into Hillside Green. (The
USDA notes that training women agronomists is a priority, as seen in its own investment in
female researchers.) Back home, she mentors our female agronomists and ensures our
programs are accessible to women-led farms.

Eunice’s Borlaug experience also connected Hillside Green to global networks. She attended
the World Food Prize Symposium in Iowa, meeting international policymakers and fellow
innovators. Our company now collaborates with U.S. land-grant universities on trials for
drought-tolerant vegetable varieties – a direct outcome of contacts she established. In all these
ways, the fellowship has improved Hillside Green’s capacity: we are able to implement
science-based practices more confidently and attract international collaborators. As USDA
reported for other Fellows, this kind of training helps protect farmers’ livelihoods and improve
food security back home. For Hillside Green, Eunice’s Borlaug Fellowship has translated into
tangible growth in expertise, innovation, and impact for Kenyan agriculture