About Us

Note: Featured image is the initial founding team of RA4D Stichting

Our Mission

We are working in agriculture to create healthy, sustainable development opportunities through partnerships.

Our Vision

Foster environmentally friendly, community-based sustained agricultural development

Values on

  • Integrity
  • Empathy
  • Collaboration
  • Dignity and Respect
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Services

Our Story

We work in agriculture, education and governance to create healthy development opportunities through partnerships. Our passion is working with farmers, rural communities, women and youth in a multi-partner approach to establish strong partnership in various industries. This could bear opportunities to help contribute to sustainable development goals in the countries where we have our implementing projects and programs.

Capacity building: Government and NGO Extension and Leads’ farmers are trained through the ToTs approach. Erna Abidin (Orange T-shirt) was the principal trainer. Acknowledgement: Jumpstarting OFSP in West Africa through Diversified Markets and AGRA in Ghana.
The RA4D team organizing a public forum with the State Government Officers in Kwara Nigeria bringing the ‘grassroots’, i.e., women and girls to be involved in the UN-SDGs 2030 Agendas on 6 Aug 2022.
Introducing the nutritious orange-fleshed sweetpotato as part of an important crop in the food systems to contribute to SDG-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 17 to State Government Officers in Kwara State, Nigeria on 6 Aug 2022. The RA4D team is present: Dr. Erna Abidin (second left), Dr. Ted Carey behind Erna Abidin, and Ms. Marjolein Ebregt (the 5th from the right)
Training, Sensitization, and giving Awareness given by Dr. Erna Abidin (orange T-shirt) about the importance of OFSP for improving the livelihood of the grassroots, the people left behind of the voices, such as women, widowers, girls, and children to be part of the development program through the UN-SDGs in Nigeria. It took place on 6 Aug 2022 at Kwara State Government Convention Hall.
Global press conference for our new NGO namely Reputed Agriculture for Grassroot Development Kwara on 4 Aug 2022 and receiving the Certificate Incorporation on 19 Aug 2022 with newly adjusted Executive Directors approved on 9th Sep 2022. Photos above are with the Executive Directors: front line from the left to right: Mrs. Sefiya Abdulmumin, Ms. Marjolein Ebregt, Dr. Erna Abidin, Dr. Ted Carey, and Mr. Abdulkadir Hassan. In the second line, in the middle: Mrs. Edna Uba.
Global Press conference in Abuja on 4 Aug 2022, The three RA4D Stichting are leading in the conference for introducing a newly established local registered NGO in Nigeria, from left to right: Ms. Marjolein Ebregt (Director of International Relations), Dr. Erna Abidin (CEO/Founder), Dr. Ted Carey (Director of Research for Development).
Advocacy: Dr. Mary Robinson (former President of Ireland) and Irish Aid team accompany by Erna Abidin (using the sweetpotato wrapping cloth) in Malawi, Jan 2013 (credit: John Warren Ndovi).
Advocacy: HE Mr. Kofi Annan and Mrs. Nane Annan visited Kumbungu District, NR Ghana with Paramount King of Kumbungu and several kings within his kingdom states in Aug 2015. (Credit: Erna Abidin). Thru Jumpstarting OFSP in West Africa with various markets (JS), we have promoted various dishes and processed products which can be made from nutritious OFSP in Ghana and elsewhere, including juice from the roots and leaves.

At least, we have successfully met the extra-ordinary results and milestones/project outcomes from the Jumpstarting OFSP project. Many scientific publications came out of this project. We also contributed to more results from other projects such as USAID-OFDA in Malawi, Ghana and Burkina Faso on Sand Storage innovation package of technologies comprising good agricultural practices, sand storage technique and sweetpotato multiplication for climate uncertainty. Furthermore, the Irish Aid funded project for OFSP in Malawi (Oct 2009 – Sep 2014) where Irish Aid opened their heart and eyes to help more people improving the health and wealth in Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone through other organisation leading their OFSP projects. Through the Jumpstarting with OFSP in West Africa through Diversified Markets funded by Bills and Melinda Gates Foundation (Apr 2014 to May 2017), Ted Carey and Erna Abidin have reached Nigeria.

It is now the correct moment for us to work through our non-profit NGO. We will continue with what we have already made, a great foundation from our previous hands through the CGIAR-CIP funded projects from which Ted Carey and Erna Abidin developed their real impacts as well as seen clearly and countless. We want to move forwards for Scaling it out.

Meet the Team

A. The Board members of Directors for Reputed Agriculture 4 Development Stichting registered in The Netherlands

Founder/CEO
Dr. Putri Ernawati Abidin
(Erna Abidin)
Director Research for Development & Penningmeester
Prof. Dr. Edward Carey
(Ted Carey)
Secretary Board of Directors
Marjolein Ebregt BA
Advisory Board of Directors
Prof. Dr. Rudy Rabbinge

B. The Executive Council Directors for Reputed Agriculture 4 Development Foundation and Reputed Agriculture 4 Grassroot Development Kwara in other countries, i.e. Ghana, Malawi, and Nigeria:

  • Dr. Putri E Abidin: Founder/CEO
  • Prof. Edward E Carey: Director of Research for Development
  • Ms. Marjolein Ebregt: Director of International Relations
  • Mr. Isaac Dorgbetor MSc: Country Director for GHANA
  • Mrs. Puti Draga Rangkuti MBA: Ex-Officio for the Foundation (INDONESIA)
  • Mrs. Phelire Tamara Nkhoma MSc: Country Director for MALAWI
  • Mrs. Edna Uba: Country Director for NIGERIA
Mr. Isaac K. Dorgbetor MSc
Mrs. Puti Draga Rangkuti MBA
Mrs. Edna Uba
Mrs. Phelire Tamara Nkhoma MSc

C. Outstanding Career of each Board/Executive Council Member

Dr. Putri Ernawati Abidin (Erna Abidin)

  • Founder/CEO of Reputed Agriculture for Development (2019 – to-date)
  • Project leader, manager, supervisor: (1984 – 2018) in Indonesia, Uganda, Malawi, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Nigeria
  • Researcher/program designer based on local knowledge, applied research (1998 – 2018)
  • Peer Reviewer for international journals (2004 – to date)
  • Educator/trainer/curriculum development speciality (1978 – 2018)
  • Author for peer reviewed journal, books, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, educational videos, brochures & protocol (1994 – up-to-date)
  • Project proposal writer and mobilising potential donors (1984 – to date)
  • Living and/or work: Indonesia, The Netherlands, Mozambique, Uganda, USA, Malawi, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. Born and with first career at the Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia for 12 years; and she was an Indonesian nationality. Currently she is having a Netherland nationality and her permanent residence is in The Netherlands.
  • Graduated from Bogor Agricultural University in Indonesia for first degree as called as Ir; and from Wageningen University, The Netherlands for Master and PhD degrees.
  • Links to follow her activities, IEC videos and major publications: (i) at Google Scholar Citations; (ii) at ResearchGate Network; (iii) at Twitter; CIP twitter; (iv) at Youtube; (v) at CIP-Blogs: and CIP-Blog and CIP-Blog, etc.; (vi) and then at RTB-Blog, etc.; (vii) at the link about School Feeding Program in Nigeria; (viii) at The Netherlands AgriFocus link: ‘All you want to know about OFSP‘; (ix) at SecureNutrition link of the ‘Rooting out Hunger’ project with Nutritious OFSP in Malawi; (x) at Ghana Web on Ghana School Feeding Program pilot project in Kumbungu: inclusion of OFSP in the meals; and (xi) at LinkedIn

Prof. Dr. Edward E. Carey (Ted Carey)

  • Prof. (emeritus) for Kansas State University Kansas (1999-2010)
  • Regional sweetpotato breeder for Sub-Sahara Africa (1993-1999 & 2010-2019)
  • Sweetpotato breeder – CIP Lima, Peru (1988-1993)
  • Cassava breeder – CIAT Cali, Colombia (1985-1988)
  • Reviewer and author for peer journal articles (1980 – to-date)
  • Project proposal writer (1993 – to-date)
  • Lived or worked in USA, Colombia, Peru, Kenya, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria
  • Link to follow as major publications at Google Scholar

Ms. Marjolein Ebregt BA (Putri Marjolein Ebregt)

  • Leiden University Student Consultant for Rainforest Alliance on deforestation-free supply chains
  • Currently studying at Leiden University, The Haque; Bachelor in International Studies, International Relations, Cultural Studies and African Studies are of  interests.
  • Link to follow, for more information at LinkedIn

Prof. Dr. Rudy Rabbinge

  • University Professor Emeritus in Sustainable Development and Food Security at Wageningen University in The Netherlands.
  • He was the chair of the Inter-Academy Panel on Food Security and Agricultural Productivity in Africa and member of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
  • He served in different responsibilities in Academia and cooperative private companies and in politics.
  • At present he functions as a Special Envoy for Food Security in The Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Foreign Affairs.
  • He holds degrees and philosophy of science from Wageningen University.
  • Link to follow for more information: https://www.wur.nl/en/Persons/Rudy-prof.dr.ir.-R-Rudy-Rabbinge.htm

GHANA: Mr. Isaac K. Dorgbetor MSc., Felix Kamasa, Mr. Isaac Conduah; MALAWI: Mrs. Phelire Tamara Nkhoma, Mr. Warren John Ndovi, Mr. John Kazembe; and NIGERIA: Mr. Abdul Kadir Hassan, Mrs. Edna Uba, Mrs. Sefiya Abdulmumin.

Above: new structured members and the Executive Council for RA4D Foundation in Ghana, RA4D Limited in Malawi, and Reputed Agriculture 4 Grassroot Development Kwara (RA4D in Nigeria).

Mrs. Puti Draga Rangkuti MBA

  • Founder for Fajar Hidayah Foundation in Indonesia
  • Graduated from Philippine School of Business Administration in Accounting Major. Complicated MBA program at De La Salle University, Manila, The Philippines.
  • Currently pursuing Doctoral Degree in Management Strategy at University of Indonesia.
  • Having experiences in banking, automotive and construction industries
  • Link to follow, for more information, click here

Please visit the following pages for more information about our (1) NGO Entity; (2) Financial Statement and Report as public benefits in The Netherlands namely ‘Stichting’ and in Ghana Foundation and Limited; (3) Narrative Report; (4) our blogs on Sweetpotato Multiplication and (5) Nutritious Gari.