Fernando Cizungu Bamba has over seven years' experience conducting agricultural projects and lecturing at universities in South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Fernando currently works at Plantations et Huileries du Congo, LLC as the Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) laboratory supervisor.  He is primarily responsible for growing high-quality cassava plantlets for the local community as a part of the company's Community Development Program. Additionally, Fernando conducts research soil science and biogeochemistry at the Congo Biogeochemistry Observatory.  In his spare time, Fernando mentors rural students and smallholder farmers in climate-smart agriculture and agribusiness for reducing poverty and climate-change mitigation. Fernando has a bachelor's degree in agriculture and plans to pursue a doctorate in agroecology. He is committed to reducing rural poverty through sustainable development in the eastern region of his country, where people face post-conflict challenges after more than two decades of political instability. Fernando credits the Mandela Washington Fellowship with his professional career as a leader and trainer of trainers in the agricultural sector.