LOOKING BACK 20 YEARS “The meaning of life is to find your up peer-reviewed academic journals to AJFAND. With each manuscript gift. The purpose of life is to give it covering food and nutrition issues in I review, I carefully reflect on the away.” Pablo Picasso Africa, they weren’t many, and that is impact my review can have on ending I grew up at a time when family, friends, how I ‘met’ the African Journal of Food, malnutrition in Africa. and strangers would often ask: ‘What Agriculture, Nutrition and Development do you want to be when you grow up? (AJFAND). From time to time, I would I review for AJFAND because I believe It was an innocent question meant to look up the journal’s website and scan in Prof. Oniang’o’s vision. It is an open inspire young children, but it was a through the publications. I would also secret that the process of publishing burden for me. I should explain. When look up the journal’s Editor-in-Chief and in peer-reviewed journals remains a my mother was pregnant with me, she founder (Prof. Ruth Oniang’o) tracing daunting task for researchers and had anemia. As a result, I was born her journey as if trying to find my career academics in Africa. Rejections by prematurely, weighing 1.8kg, anemic path as a young African female scientist international journals may, at times, myself, the doctors gave me 72 hours to looking to make a difference in the world. not be scientifically grounded. It can live. Because I survived, I heard the story be argued that this is experienced of my birth too many times. And each A few years ago, when Prof. Oniang’o more by African authors [1]. Instead of time I heard it as a teenager, it brought asked me to be a reviewer for AJFAND, whining about it, Prof. Oniang’o decided Dr. Mercy Lung’aho up in me deep questions: What is the I don’t think she knew what that moment to create a platform where African mglungaho@gmail.com meaning of life? What is my purpose in meant to me. I was too timid to explain authors could publish their food and life? What can I contribute to the world? to her its significance. Although I was nutrition research work. I have watched Why am I here? anxious about it, I was also humbled the journal grow, increase its regularity, and grateful. I see peer-reviewing as a improve its content, and is now indexed I was always searching for my purpose. significant element in the process of by SCOPUS. This is also an amazing I remember the day, sitting in the Mann advancing academic knowledge in any journey of resilience from one of Africa’s Library at Cornell University, that I field. I don’t take lightly the responsibility leading luminaries. The impact of her realized that I enjoy reading research of reviewing a manuscript submitted vision, resolve, and resilience cannot be papers. I enjoyed learning. I looked understated. 46 LOOKING BACK 20 YEARS I am on a personal journey of improving Dr Mercy Lung’aho has myself as a communicator of research become someone I can through my writing and my role as a count on anytime I think of: peer reviewer. It has not been easy, but it has been an honor and a pleasure “ who can do this quickly?” wading through the challenges of when a manuscript is peer-reviewing. I am grateful for purely NUTRITION. She this opportunity to learn, grow, and is thorough, she helps contribute. I value high-quality research, others, especially younger and as I reflect on improving the quality scholars to finalize of my reviews, I grow into my purpose - I am helping end malnutrition in Africa. I their manuscripts, and will leave a legacy of a nourished world. she introduces many to AJFAND. I know Dr 1. Tarkang, E. E., & Bain, L. E. (2019). Lung’aho has a great The bane of publishing a research career ahead of her. Thank article in international journals by you Mercy. You can always African researchers, the peer-review process, and the contentious issue count on my support. of predatory journals: a commentary. The Pan African medical journal, 32, [Editor-in-Chief, AJFAND] 119. https://doi.org/10.11604/ pamj.2019.32.119.18351 - END - 47
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