Restoring his native soil

When Esakakondo “Al” Lohese began his PhD in Land and Atmospheric Science, he had a clear mission: To restore the soil in Sankuru province, which lies in the geographic center of his home country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “As I was growing up, food was everywhere,” recalled Lohese. But today, hunger is a major issue; throughout the country, 26 million people—more than a quarter of the population— are acutely food insecure. Now a faculty member at a university in Sankuru, Lohese believes through research and extension, he can change things for the better.