A plant science lecturer has traveled to Africa twice in the past year to teach about sustainable agriculture, climate change, and soil science.
Lecturer Naveen Hyder ('03, horticultural science) volunteered with Professors Without Borders, a nonprofit organization based in the United Kingdom that creates opportunities for educators to share their knowledge with students in the developing world.
“Their mission of bridging educational gaps sparked my interest, and I decided to get involved,” said Hyder, who heard about the organization through a relative.
Educators submit their resumes and list the courses they are qualified to teach. Professors Without Borders matches the educators with local organizations around the world for a one-to-two-week teaching stint, depending on the organizations’ needs.
Hyder earned her doctorate in plant pathology in 2008 from UC Riverside, where she also worked as a turf pathology specialist before starting to teach at Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½.
Last fall, Hyder taught a two-week course on the soil food web at the African Rural University in Uganda, a school that empowers young women in a rural community. She started several initiatives there:
- eliminating single-use plastics on the campus
- sorting waste into organic, plastic, and other categories
- composting organic waste
- upcycling textile waste from local tailoring centers into creative works of art.
More recently, Hyder taught a five-day course in Zimbabwe on sustainable agriculture and climate change for a farming community.
She also started another community project working with local women to create textile art from discarded fabrics. The project not only could reduce waste, but create a potential revenue stream and help building community.
Hyder said she’s grateful for the experience of connecting with underserved communities and having a positive impact on them.
“Volunteering with Professors Without Borders has shown me the power of education to transform communities,” she said, “and I’m excited to continue this journey, bringing knowledge, creativity, and sustainability to those who need it most.”