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DR LYDIAH MARUTI WASWA

OffLine
Staff Information
PERSONAL DETAILS
Designation
LECTURER
Corporate Email
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Job Category
Teaching
Phone Number
+254722684551
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Health Sciences
Directorate / Dept
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN NUTRITION
Section
Njoro Campus
Office Extension No.
3434
Address
P. O. BOX 536-20115, Egerton.
SUMMARY

Dr. Lydiah Waswa is a Lecturer in the Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Egerton University, Kenya. Dr. Waswa has a PhD in Home Economics and Nutritional Sciences from Justus Liebig University-Giessen, Germany, an MSc. in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics and a Bachelor of Education (Home Economics) degree from Kenyatta University, Kenya. As a lecturer, she is involved in teaching and mentoring both undergraduate and postgraduate students in nutrition and related fields. She is a researcher with vast knowledge and experience in designing, coordinating and implementation of nutrition sensitive interventions aimed at alleviating all forms of malnutrition and their associated diet related non-communicable diseases. Her research interests focus on linking agriculture and nutrition for healthy diets by promoting diversified agriculture production, dietary diversity and consumption of nutritionally rich foods to overcome malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among different population groups. She is currently a partner in the Sustainable Food Environment for Food and Nutrition Security in Eastern Drylands: A Case Study of Opportunities and Boundaries in Turkana County, Kenya (FENDRYLANDS) Project, a coordinated by partners from Alliance Bioversity and CIAT, Nairobi, Georg-August University- Goettingen, Germany and Egerton University, Kenya funded by Stiftung Fiat Panis, Germany (2023). She was part of the research team in the Strengthening Urban Resilience in Food and Nutrition Security in Kenya (Sure-Food) Project, a collaboration between the University of Hohenheim- Germany, University of Nairobi and Egerton University-Kenya (June 2021) and the Principal Investigator of the LEAP–Agri, ‘Educating and Training for Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrition in East Africa (EaTSANE Project)’, supported by the National Research Fund (NRF), (2018-2022). She was a team member in the ‘Crops for Healthy Diets – Linking Agriculture and Nutrition for a Healthy Diet (HealthyLAND Project)’,funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (2015-2018). She successfully worked as team member and Postgraduate Research Fellow on the, ‘Improving the Nutritional Health of Women and Children less than two years through Increased Utilization of Local Agro-biodiversity (INULA) in Western Kenya (INULA Project)’, (2012-2015). Dr. Waswa is also involved in consultancy and works in close collaboration with other universities, research institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), county governments and local communities. She is a Registered Nutritionist, with the Kenya Nutritionist and Dieticians Institute (KNDI).

ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6375-9071
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

Year: 2012-2015

Degree: PhD, Home Economics and Nutritional Sciences

Institution: Justus Liebig University- Giessen, Germany.

 

Year: 2002-2005

Degree: MSc. Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics

Institution: Kenyatta University, Kenya.

 

Year: 1996- 2000

Degree: Bachelor of Education (Home Economics)

Institution: Kenyatta University, Kenya.

 

Year: 1991-1994

Certificate: Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)

Institution: Alliance Girls High School, Kenya.

 

Year: 1983-1990

Certificate: Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE)

Institution: Eregi Girls Primary School, Kenya.

FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION
  • Human Nutrition
  • Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition
  • Community Nutrition
  • Nutrition Assessment
  • Food and Nutrition Security
  • Nutrition education
  • Agriculture- Nutrition Sensitive Interventions
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

SHORT COURSES:

  • 9th -11 August, 2023 Competency Based Curriculum organized by the Faculty of Education and Community Studies, Egerton University  
  • 16th June 2023: Training on Writing Policy Briefs as part of capacity building for researchers during the Policy Formulation Workshop held at the CMRT Games Room on Friday 16th June 2023 facilitated by Tegemeo Institute. 
  • 26th -29th January 2021: ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management Systems Virtual Implementers Training conducted by Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBs).
  • 12th – 21st October 2020: Research and Public Health Ethics Certificate Course and Practicum facilitated by the KEMRI- Scientific and Ethics  Review Unit (SERU). Training organized by CBEC-KEMRI Bioethics Training Initiative
  • October- November 2020: Online training workshop series on “Creating Actions to Support Food Security through Diverse Media Offered by the German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture, and Transdisciplinary and Social Research (DITSL).
  • June 2018: Capacity Building Training on Consultancy Services by Egerton University, Kenya, June 2018
  • 26th-27th Sept. 2017: Development of Multi-disciplinary proposals and project management training workshop at CMRT, Egerton University.
  • November 2007: Development of Distance Learning Materials Workshop for Egerton University College of Open  and Distance Learning, Egerton University, Kenya, Nov. 2007 
WORK EXPERIENCE

Dec. 2016 -  Date: Lecturer - Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Egerton University.

May 2007 - Dec. 2016:  Assistant Lecturer, Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences - Egerton University.

May 2005 - May 2007: District Nutrition Officer, Lugari  District - Ministry of Health, Kenya.

KEY PROJECTS
  • March 2023 to date: Sustainable Food Environment for Food and Nutrition Security in Eastern Drylands: A Case Study of Opportunities and Boundaries in Turkana County, Kenya (FENDRYLANDS) Project, a coordinated by partners from Alliance Bioversity and CIAT, Nairobi, Georg-August University- Goettingen, Germany and Egerton University, Kenya funded by Stiftung Fiat Panis, Germany. Project accepted in 2023 and on-going- Partner.
  • June 2021: Strengthening Urban Resilience in Food and Nutrition Security in Kenya (Sure-Food) Project. Collaboration between University of Hohenheim- Germany, University of Nairobi and Egerton University-Kenya. AfResi-Call of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Project Commenced in June 2021 - Co-PI.  
  • 2018 to date: Educating and Training for Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrition in East Africa (EaTSANE Project). Collaboration between University of Hohenheim and JLU Giessen-Germany, Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen (KIT)- Netherlands, Mango Tree and Makerere University- Uganda,and Egerton University-Kenya. LEAP-Agri Project - Principal Investigator.
  • 2015-2018: Crops for Healthy Diets – Linking Agriculture and Nutrition for a Healthy Diet (HealthyLAND Project). Collaboration between Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany, Egerton University, Kenya, Makerere University, Uganda, and Lilogwe University, Malawi. BLE Project. Project team member.
  • 2012-2015: Improving the Nutritional Health of Women and Children less than two years through Increased Utilization of Local Agro-biodiversity (INULA) in Western Kenya (INULA Project). Bioversity International in collaboration with Justus Liebig University-Giessen, Germany. Bioversity International, Nairobi. Postgraduate Research Fellow.
RESEARCH INTERESTS

Nutrition Education for Behaviour Change Communication, Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN), Community nutrition assessment and Extension Outreach, Food -based interventions for Improved Dietary Diversity and Healthy Diets, Food and Nutrition Security.

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

  1. Verena Bitzer, Froukje Kruijssen, Johnny Mugisha, Lydiah Waswa, Judith Aliso and Betty Nakazzi (2024). Vulnerability and resilience among farmers and market actors in local agri‑food value chains in the face of COVID‑19 disruptions: findings from Uganda and Kenya. Food Security. DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-023-01414-z. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12571-023-01414-z.pdf

  2. Tabitha Avoga, Justus M. Ombati, Samuel M. Mwonga, Lydia Waswa, Sahrah Fischer, Thomas Hilger (2023). Youths as Recipents and Providers of Agricure Information-The Vertical Vegetable Gardening Case in Busia County, Kenya. International Journal of Agricultural Extension. 11 (01) 2023 DOI: 10.33687/ijae. http://dx.doi.org/10.33687/ijae.008.01.3069
  3. Dorine Oware, Erick Cheruiyot, Samuel M. Mwonga, Lydia Waswa, Sahrah Fischer, Thomas Hilger (2023). Adopting a three-strata forage system for an integral food, feed outputs and agro-ecological sustenance. African Journal of Agricultural Research. AJAR/06.02.23/16335. https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJAR (Accepted).
  4. Muroki, M. W., Waswa,L. M., Fungo, R. and Mahungu,S. M (2023). Cooking Properties and Nutrient Retention of Selected Biofortified Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) Varieties: The Case of Burundi. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems-Nutrition and Sustainable Diets.Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 7:1062978. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1062978 
  5. Pircher, T., Nertinger, M., Goss, L., Hilger, T., Karungi-Tumutegyereize, J., Waswa, L.  & Knierim, A. (2022). Farmer-centered and structural perspectives on innovation and scaling: a study on sustainable agriculture and nutrition in East Africa. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, DOI:10.1080/1389224X.2022.2156894.  https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2022.2156894
  6. Kretz, E.C.; Itaru, A.; Glas, M.G.;Waswa, L.M.; Jordan, I. (2022). Is Responsive Feeding Difficult? A Case Study in Teso South Sub-County, Kenya. Nutrients, 14, 4677. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214677
  7. Jordan, I.; Röhlig, A.; Glas, M.G.; Waswa, L.M.; Mugisha, J.; Krawinkel, M.B.; Nuppenau, E.-A. (2022). Dietary Diversity of Women across Agricultural Seasons in the Kapchorwa District, Uganda: Results from a Cohort Study. Foods, 11, 344. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11030344.
  8. Kretz, E., Jordan, I., Itaru, A., Glas, M.G., Fischer, S., Pircher, T., Hilger, T. and Waswa, L.M. (2021). Determinants of Children’s Fruit Intake in Teso South Sub-County, Kenya—A Multi-Phase Mixed Methods Study among Households with Children 0–8 Years of Age. Nutrients, 13, 2417. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072417
  9. Kiptoo, E., Waswa, L. M. & Ingasia, O. A. (2021). Linking farm production to household diets: Evidence from two low potential areas in Kenya, Cogent Food & Agriculture, 7:1, 1913842, DOI: 10.1080/23311932.2021.1913842. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2021.1913842
  10.  Waswa, L. M., Jordan, I., Krawinkel, M. B. and Keding, G. B. (2021). Seasonal Variations in Dietary Diversity and Nutrient Intakes of Women and Their Children (6–23 Months) in Western Kenya. Front. Nutr. 8:636872. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389%2Ffnut.2021.636872
  11. Ogenche, C. S., Muliro, P.  and Waswa, L. M. (2018). Milk consumption patterns of children from dairy and non-dairy households in Nakuru County, Kenya. International Journal of Nursing, Midwife and Health Related Cases, Volume.4, issue no.5, pp.1-18. https://www.eajournals.org/journals/international-journal-nursing-midwife-health-related-cases-ijnmh/vol-4-issue-5-october-2018/milk-consumption-patterns-of-children-from-dairy-and-non-dairy-households-in-nakuru-county-kenya/
  12. Waswa, L. M., Jordan, I., Herrmann, J., Krawinkel, M.B. &  Keding, G. B. (2015). Community-based educational intervention improved the diversity of complementary diets in western Kenya: results from a randomized controlled trial. Public Health Nutrition, volume 18, issue 18, pp. 3406-3419.http://journals.cambridge.org/article_S1368980015000920
  13. Keding, G. B. & Waswa, L. M. (2015).  Diversifying local diets - Nutrition Education for mothers/ caregivers improved the diversity of complementary foods of children in Western Kenya. Policy Brief. Bioversity International, 4 p.
  14. Waswa,  L. M. (2015). Improving dietary diversity and nutritional health of women and children under two years through increased utilization of local agrobiodiversity and enhanced nutrition knowledge in Kenya. PhD Thesis. Justus Liebig University-Giessen, Germany.
CONFERENCES & INVITED PRESENTATIONS
  • 16th- 17th November, 2023: Participated and had a poster presentation on the ‘Education and Training for Sustainable Agricuture and Nutrition in East Africa (EaTSANE)’ project Goal, Approach, Innovations and Outputs during the Science Granting Councils Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa Academic Symposium II held at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort Convention Centre and Spa Serena Road, Mombasa, Kenya. Symposium supported by the National Research Fund (NRF). Participated and had a poster presentation on the ‘Education and Training for Sustainable Agricuture and Nutrition in East Africa (EaTSANE)’ project Goal, Aproach, Innovations and Outputs during the Science Granting Councils Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa Academic Symposium II held at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort Convention Centre and Spa Serena Road, Mombasa, Kenya. Symposium supported by the National Research Fund (NRF). 
  • 23rd-26th May, 2023: Participated  and made a presentation on the Education and Training for Sustainable Agricuture and Nutrition in East Africa (EaTSANE) project during the 2nd Multisectoral Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation (MS-COSTI 2), organized by the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI) in partnership with the National Research Fund (NRF) and the Konza Technopolis Development Authority at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya. The theme of the conference was 'Harnessing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Food Security and Public Good in a Transformational Digitalized Economy'.
  • 23rd -25th March 2022: Participated in the 14th Biennial Egerton University International Virtual Conference and made an oral presentation entitled, ‘Eat a different vegetable each day in a week: facilitating and hindering factors among small- holder farm households in Teso-South Sub- County, Kenya and Kapchorwa District, Uganda’. Egerton University, Kenya. 
  • 19th -21st May 2021: Participated in the First East African Endometriosis Conference (EAEC, 2021) held virtually and organized by the University of Nairobi and supported by DAAD. The theme of the conference was ‘Campaigning for better awareness, management and Research on endometriosis in East Africa.
  • 20th -24th July 2020: Participated in the Kenya DAAD Scholars Association (KDSA) Dedan Kimathi University Chapter DAAD funded virtual training workshop on ‘Management of Internationalization’.
  • 26th -29th Aug. 2019: Participated and had an oral presentation titled, ‘Dietary Diversity and Consumption of Foods from Different Food Groups among Women from Smallholder Farm Households in Kenya, Malawi and Uganda’ at the 4th Federation of African Nutrition Societies (FANUS) Conference in Kigali-Rwanda.
  • 22nd– 24th May 2019: Participated in the KDSA Technical University of Kenya (TUK) Chapter DAAD funded workshop on ‘Graduate Supervision in the 21st Century’ held at The Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi.
  • 9th -10th May, 2019: Participated in the KDSA Moi University Chapter DAAD funded Training Workshop on ‘New Tools for Scientific Data Collection, Data Analytics and Quality Report Writing’ held at Sirikwa Hotel, Eldoret Kenya.
  • 26th Feb.-7th March, 2018: Participated in the “Crops for Healthy Diets - Linking Agriculture and Nutrition (HealthyLAND)” project meeting and writing workshop held at University’s guesthouse in Rauischholzhausen, Landkreis Marburg-Biedenkopf and University of Giessen, Germany.
  • 12th -17th Feb. 2018: Participated in the Conducting International Human-based Research GCRF Training Course held at BecA-ILRI Hub, Nairobi.
  • 26th-27th Sept. 2017: Participated in the Development of Multi-disciplinary proposals and project management workshop held at CMRT, Egerton University.
  • 25th -27th Jan. 2017: Participated in the Egerton University KDSA Chapter “Innovative Post- Graduate Supervision” workshop held at Milele Resort, Nakuru Town.
  • 23rd -24th  Nov. 2016: Attended and had an oral presentation titled, ‘Seasonal variations and the dietary diversity of mothers and their children in Western Kenya’ at the Inaugural National Nutrition Symposium organized by the Academia and Research Scaling up Nutrition Network, Kenya School of Government, Nairobi, Kenya.
  • 16th -21st Sept.2016: Attended the ‘Crops for Healthy Diets- Linking Agriculture and Nutrition (HealthyLAND)’ project meeting and participated in the Tropentag 2016 Conference organized by the BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
  • 25th -29th May 2015: Attended and presented a paper entitled ‘Community-based educational intervention improved the diversity of complementary diets in Western Kenya: results from a randomized control trial’ during the 3rd Federation of African Nutrition Societies (FANUS) Conference, AICC, Arusha, Tanzania.
  • 3rd -6th March 2015: Participated and had an oral presentation entitled ‘Maternal Diets in Western Kenya’ at the 2nd International Congress Hidden Hunger, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
  • 17th-19th  Sept.2014: Attended and poster presentation on, ‘Household Food Security and Dietary Diversity in Different Agro- ecological Zones in Western Kenya’. Tropentag 2014- International Research on Food Security, Natural Resource Management and Rural Development. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic.
  • 25th -29th July 2014: Attended and presented a poster entitled, ‘Seasonal variations in women’s dietary diversity scores and relationship with nutritional status in Western Kenya’. The 6th Africa Nutritional Epidemiology Conference(ANEC VI) held at GIMPA, Accra Ghana.
  • 24th -27th Aug. 2014: Invited speaker and had an oral presentation entitled, ‘Breastfeeding as a family issue: The role of fathers, grandmothers and other family members’. Poster presentation entitled, ‘Nutritional status, dietary diversity and  morbidity among infants and children aged 6-23 months in rural Western Kenya’. The 10th International Congress of Tropical Paediatrics (ICTP) held at the KICC Nairobi, Kenya.
  • 12th -14th Mar. 2014: Participated and had an oral presentation, ‘The role of nutrition education in improving knowledge of caregivers and diversity of complementary foods in Western Kenya’ during the 51 Wissenschaftlicher Kogress der Deutschen Gesellschaft fuer Ernahrung (DGE) e. V- (The German Nutrition Society) at Paderborn University.
  • 17th  -19th Sept. 2013: Participated and had an oral presentation entitled, Linking agriculture and nutrition: Dietary diversity of women and children in different agro-ecological zones of Western Kenya during the Tropentag 2013 Conference, Stuttgart- Hohenheim, Germany.
HONORS, PRIZE AND AWARDS

2012: Bioversity International PhD Research Fellowship for PhD studies at Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany. Sponsor: GIZ.

2011: DAAD/NCST Scholarship for PhD studies in Nutritional Sciences at the Justus-Liebig –University, Giessen-Germany.

2011: MASHAV   Scholarship to attend the Nutrition in a Changing Global Environment Training and Capacity Building Course at The Hebrew University.

2002: Kenyatta University Partial Scholarship for Master’s Program         

 

TEACHING AREAS

Undergraduate

FOND 121: Principles of Human Nutrition

FOND 212: Meal Planning and Management

FOND 222: Macronutrients

FOND 223: Micronutrients

FOND 232: Nutrition Education and Counselling

FOND 341: Research Methods

FOND 325: Community Nutrition Assessment & Surveillance

FOND 328: Nutrition Assessment

FOND 443: Research Projects I

FOND 443: Research Projects II

FOND 444: World Food Problems and Food Security

FOND 448: Food and Nutrition Extension Outreach

POSTGRADUATE SUPERVISION
MASTERS LEVEL :

Successfully Supervised the following Masters Students 

  1. Catherine Sarange Ogenche: (HM18/3688/13). Milk Consumption Patterns and Nutritional Status of Children (24-59 Months) From Dairy and Non-Dairy Households in Nakuru County, Kenya. (Graduated in December 2018).
  1. Emmaculate Jepchumba Kiptoo: (KM15/14188/15). Role of Farm Enterprise Diversity on Diet Quality among Small-Scale Farmers Households in Makueni and Nyando Sub-Counties, Kenya. (Defended, to Graduate in June 2021).

On-Going Masters Supervision:

  1. Angella Nakutunda: (MPH/2021/42877). Exploration of adolescents Food Environment: perspectives and opportunities for sustainable and healthy diets in Turkana Dry Lands, Kenya. Mount Kenya University.
  2. Ababu Victor: (KM16/13038/21). Determination of Nutritional, Technological, and Sensory Characteristics of Improved Pigeon Peas [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]Varieties Grown in Machakos County, Kenya. Egerton University.
  3. Grace Khatenya:HM18/13599/19. Assessment of Complementary Feeding Practices, Nutritional Status and Associate Factors among Children 6-23 Months in Informal Settlements in Nakuru, Kenya. Egerton University.
  4. Mary Muroki: (KM16/13596/19). Assessing the Potential of Iron and Zinc Biofortified Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris) Varieties as a Vehicle for Improving Nutrition in Burundi. Egerton University.
  5. Annet Itaru: (PHM/G/08/15). An Assessment of Factors Influencing Consumption of Sun-Dried Vegetables among Households in Teso South Sub-County, Kenya. Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST).
PhD. LEVEL :

On-going PhD Supervision

  1. Rosemary Jepkosgei Cheboswony: (HD18/40003/16): The Influence of Sweetpotato Leaves Consumption on Iron Status Among Women of Reproductive Age in Chepalungu Sub-County, Bomet County, Kenya: - Intervention Study.
OTHER SOCIETIES

1. Registered nutritionist and member of the Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI).

2. Registered member of the African Nutrition Society (ANS).

REFEREES

Dr. Stellamaris Muthoka

Egerton University

Chair, Department of Human Nutrition

P.O. Box 536,

Egerton, Kenya.

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Prof. Simon Mahungu,

Egerton University

Department of Dairy, Food Science and Technology

P.O. Box 536,

Egerton, Kenya.

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Dr. Irmgard Jordan

Nutrition and Home Economic Scientist

Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

Food Environment and Consumer Behaviour,

Africa Hub Kasarani Road, ICIPE Complex

P.O. Box 823-00621, Nairobi, Kenya.

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