A University of Wisconsin-Platteville Professor Has a Dream

Growing up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is never easy. Like most developing countries, people struggle with poverty, malnutrition, and every tragic and unfortunate event you can think of everyday. Dr. Annie Kinwa-Muzinga, a professor in Agribusiness, grew up in Kinshasa, DR Congo. As the fourth child of 10, she is familiar with daily poverty in Kinshasa and continues to witness it each time she visits DR Congo.

“When I left DR Congo to do big things in my life, God reminded me to give back to my people,” said Kinwa-Muzinga, fighting back a tear.

Kinwa-Muzinga is changing lives back in her native country. She started a farm on the other side of the world, but it’s not just any kind of farm. It’s a farm that will help women, especially widows, secure jobs.

Before the farm opened, Kinwa-Muzinga met with 10 Congolese women and asked them what she can do to help them live a better life. They ended up with what she calls a “crazy” idea of a farm. Kevin Dickensen, her “partner in crime,” helped her unravel her dreams of securing land for farm activities.

Dickensen was a farmer from Cadott, Wisconsin. He wanted to explore opportunities to invest in Congo. When Kinwa-Muzinga told him about her project, he loved the idea. He sent his two children, Tim and Natalie, to DR Congo to assess the needs of the project in 2014. Unfortunately, Dickensen lost his battle to cancer in 2015. During his final days, she promised to continue helping the Congolese widows of her farm and their families. The farm started with 10 women; now, there are 30 women and four supervisors.

The farm is called “Kivuvu” which means, “hope” in Kikongo, one of the four languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Kivuvu” refers to the widow’s long journey. Her sister, Fifi Kinwa, is a widow. Her sister’s husband died from a heart attack on Jan. 8, 2009, leaving four daughters and a son. Due to financial issues, Kinwa-Muzinga’s sister lost custody to her children. Eventually, she earned custody for three of her children and was rewarded visitation privileges for the other two. Kivuvu reminds them all to never lose faith and to always have hope no matter what life throws at you.

The findings of a study Kinwa-Muzinga conducted years ago inspired her to focus on the group of widows. According to Kinwa-Muzinga, the government policy hardly protects the women. They struggle more than others especially when their husbands have passed away.

She shared a story of a woman who farmed with her husband. As soon as her husband died, their farm was taken away without any notice. Many widows at the Kivuvu farm have reported having very little knowledge about land transfers until the new owners came in to evict them.

The goal for 2016 is to acquire another cow and a bull. Kinwa-Muzinga’s next step is to train the widows on how to manage a farm successfully. When she travels to DR Congo this summer, she will hold a series of workshops on farm records, financial management, and marketing strategies to empower women as they are getting ready for the 2016-17 growing season.

“I was so excited when I heard about what Annie is doing for the widows and others over in DR Congo,” said Tera Montgomery, an associate professor of dairy and animal science in the UW-Platteville School of Agriculture. “I have a lot of respect for Annie, both from a professional and a personal standpoint. She knows her area very well and has a lot of passion about a lot of things. In particular, it is always great to talk with her about how the Lord moves in our lives.”

Kinwa-Muzinga currently has a GoFundMe account to raise money for building houses for the widows. She wants the widows to stay and work on the farm instead of walking two to five miles everyday. Kinwa-Muzinga says each house will cost around $2,200. Their goal is to build 5 houses this year.

“We were so happy to get our goal of 2,000,” said Montgomery. “What an accomplishment for such a great cause by a great lady. I can’t wait to get the opportunity to see all of the great things in Africa!”

Kinwa-Muzinga earned her B.S degree in economics from the University of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a Financial Management Emphasis. After receiving a scholarship to study in America in 1990, she received both her MBA in Finance and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics with a specialization in Food and Agribusiness Management and Strategic Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

She joined the School of Agriculture at UW-Platteville in January of 2002 and is currently the Agribusiness Program Director. She teaches Introduction to Agribusiness, World Population, Food and Resources, Agricultural Finance, Farm Management, Agricultural Consulting and Sales, Agribusiness Marketing Management, and Agribusiness Management. She also advises students involved in the Pioneer Undergraduate Research Program and coaches CERES fraternity. She is the faculty advisor for the Pioneer Chapter of the National Agriculture Marketing Association, also known as NAMA.

Kinwa-Muzinga gives her students the opportunity to experience global perspectives by organizing a short-term study abroad program to Ghana, Africa. The students spend their days in the hot sun learning about African and Ghanaian agriculture.

“I’ve wanted to take my students to Africa ever since I could remember, “ said Kinwa-Muzinga. “You could see in their faces how excited they were to travel there. When the farm is ready, I would love to take my students to the Kivuvu Farm.”

Kinwa-Muzinga has received multiple rewards and scholarships of teaching grants. She was acknowledged by the UW System as an outstanding teacher this past year. Other awards include: 2008 Woman of the Year, 2008 Outstanding Woman of Color, 2007-2008 Wisconsin Teaching Fellow, and 2005 and 2013 Outstanding Faculty in the School of Agriculture.

To help and donate for the farm project, click here.