Davida Ruharo

22 years old, attending Cardiff University, UK.  Davida was awarded a Beacon Scholarship in June 2022. 

Davida is studying towards a BSc in Biological Sciences and has successfully completed a year in industry in Italy. In this role, she contributed to globally relevant research in the field of biotechnology and shared her findings on low-cost biotech tools with a range of audiences and through a variety of mediums including presentations, videos and co-authoring an academic paper. She reads voraciously on a variety of topics and is improving her fluency in both French and Italian.

Davida enjoys a range of activities to complement her studies. She is currently researching and writing a book on ‘Wisdom’; she writes poetry, some of which she has performed at a multilingual event, achieving 2nd place. Always keen to develop to and grow, Davida has completed a course on financial literacy and is in the middle of another on personal development.

Much of Davida’s leadership development is centred around her faith: she is an active member of her church, taking on a variety of roles, such as leading the UK Women’s Fellowship and co-leading the International University Students Fellowship. She leads the UK Online Sunday Service creating a welcoming virtual space for Church members and has run weekly Alpha courses, exploring the Christian faith through discussions. She is an analyst for JEPA Africa Research Services, and writes articles on key East African developments, as well as playing a more strategic role in planning and business development.

Davida’s Citizenship interests lie in the food, nutrition and health fields, and she is creating a website for schools, about nutrition, food production and cooking using indigenous and local ingredients.

Beacon Workshop Participation

In Workshops, Davida demonstrates effective leadership and an ability to communicate articulately and to explain concepts to others, enabling her to get the best out of her teams.

Beacon Summer Citizenship Project

Davida’s Summer Citizenship Project was called ‘Cooking Up the Future: Empowering Young Innovators through Food and Culture’ and focused on Empowering Ugandan children through an interactive recipe storybook; inspiring innovation and reconnection with traditional food knowledge.