By Joyce Gathu
Her petite figure and youthful appearance easily passes the mother of two as just another student at the Jommo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
It’s a mistake many make, but Prof Mary Abukutsa’s jovial and outgoing trait is an obvious indicator she is hardly bothered.
The casual way she brushes shoulders with students at JKUAT corridors speaks little of her accomplishments.
Prof Abukutsa is not only a lecturer at JKUAT, but also a researcher and Professor in horticultural sciences.
Prof Mary Abukutsa (centre) takes students through a plant physical study. [Photo: Joyce Gathu] |
Her youthfulness is a consequence of years of eating fruits and vegetables, a dietary habit forced on her after developing an allergy, but one she nonetheless embraced and has today helped shape her career.
"Around the time I was being weaned, which could have been anywhere between six to 12 months, I developed a rush and vomited regularly after meals and my parents were worried," recalls Abukutsa.
"After a series of consultation with doctors, they discovered I was allergic to animal protein. But I had no problems with breast milk," she remembers.
Consequently, the now 53-year-old woman, born in Bunyore, Western Province, was introduced to traditional vegetables such as managu, terere and mrenda to combat her allergies, and it worked.
When it was time for Prof Abukutsa to choose a career, her father urged her to pursue medicine since she was a brilliant student.
But her dietary change had left a lasting impact on her life, one that influenced her career choice.
"I chose to pursue horticultural studies, a course undertaken by few students, majority being men," she says.
And Prof Abukutsa did not disappoint, soon rising to become one of the few female professors in horticultural sciences.
Speaking of JKUAT, she says: "This is the place where I can successfully combine my mother’s love for farming with my father’s love for teaching."
Her mother was a peasant farmer, while her father taught English, Kiswahili and History.
Prof Abukutsa has devoted over 20 yeasr into extensive and groundbreaking research of traditional vegetables such as managu and terere. She has also documented numerous publications on traditional vegetables, including cooking recipes.
Prof Abukutsa says they have unearthed knowledge on improved seed quality through selection, production, processing and storage technologies.
"We are in the process of registering the varieties, as is required by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service," she says, adding "I’m now involving post-graduate students and other collaborators."
She reckons that there is need to do more research in breeding, product development and upscaling the production of indigenous vegetables.
Her contribution and that of others like her has improved awareness on the health benefits of eating more vegetables.
"Traditional vegetables are not only good for your health, but can also prevent lifestyle diseases like gout. They also have significant economic value when grown for commercial purposes," she notes.
Various studies have shown that eating a diet rich in whole grains, fruit, vegetables and fish prevents common chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cancer and obesity.
Prof Abukutsa’s efforts have immensley contributed to the popularisation of traditional vegetables which have for years been considered a poor man’s choice.