Ms. Florence Mwalwanda and Ms. Agatha Chituwa, two interns from the Centre of Resilient Agri-food Systems (CRAFS), recently attended a four-day intensive Data Handling in R training workshop in Blantyre. The workshop provided a comprehensive introduction to R programming, equipping participants with critical skills such as data processing, visualisation, modelling, sample size calculations, and R’s fundamental syntax and building blocks—critical for effective data analysis.

Associate Professor Halima Twabi from the University of Malawi, a recipient of a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and her team organised the workshop. The training aimed to equip health researchers and modellers with data management skills in R, specifically designed for those new to the software but experienced in data handling.

Reflecting on the experience, Ms. Mwalwanda expressed her gratitude, saying, “I am deeply thankful to CRAFS for giving me the opportunity to attend this valuable course. It has prepared me to contribute more effectively to CRAFS projects, and I look forward to applying R for comprehensive data handling and analysis.”

Ms. Chituwa highlighted the value of the workshop, stating, “The session on data visualisation was particularly engaging for me. As an MA student, this is a key skill I will need, especially when publishing research papers.”

In his closing remarks, CRAFS leader Professor Cosmo Ngongondo underscored the importance of the training, noting how he has consistently used R for data analysis in many of his publications, demonstrating the software's significance in research.