RIUtv meets Benson Maniaji from FIPS-Africa
22 September 2010

RIUtv likes to profile the unsung heroes from the RIU portfolio. This time we met up with Benson Maniaji whilst he was explaining the work of FIPS to a group of UK members of parliament - you can see what they thought on another FIPS RIUtv feature.

Benson is the Crop Improvement Specialist for FIPS-Africa in western Kenya. He told RIUtv how, through his work with improved and disease resistant varieties of crops, FIPS has reached more than 37,000 smallholders in 165 FIPS villages in western Kenya. .

Benson says of his work with FIPS:

"With the methodology and the plants we had, I was seeing the future... The FIPS methodology with its simple, adaptable and available technologies is going to reach millions of farmers in a short space of time."

RIUtv correspondent, Nik Wood, who interviewed Benson, said:

"I first met Benson a year ago when filming FIPS just after they won backing from the RIU Best Bets programme. I was really impressed then with his rapport with farmers and the village-based advisors who work with local people in different communities throughout western Kenya. Seeing him engaging with the UK MPs who visited the FIPS programme recently impressed me even more. His knowledge of the improved varieties of seeds and fertilizers and his ability to communicate this clearly to the UK members of parliament was a joy to watch. His work to help scale up the FIPS programme to tens of thousands of people in East Africa also greatly impressed the MPs and had them calling for more support from DFID, which was a great result."