Farmers Helping Farmers has announced the winners of its 2012 awards. The awards recognize the contributions of the organization’s volunteers, supporters and members.
Sandra MacKinnon, awards committee chair, says that the success of any organization is dependent upon the commitment of its volunteers and others. “These annual awards are a way of acknowledging the individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to the organization,” she said.
The Friend of Farmers Helping Farmers was presented to the Village Feast Organizing Committee. This award recognizes individuals and groups who are not members of the organization, but who have made a lasting and extending contribution.
The Village Feast organizing committee has raised money for Farmers Helping Farmers to assist the organization to construct one cookhouse at a Kenyan school in each of the past four years. As a result of the fundraising, almost 1,000 school children receive a school lunch prepared in one of the cookhouses. The schools report that student attendance and the children’s academic performance have improved. This means that students are more likely to get places in schools where they can continue their education.
The Challenge Girls Leadership Club was this year’s recipient of the Farmers Helping Farmers Youth Award. It recognizes individuals and youth groups who have made outstanding contributions to FHF and its work in Kenya. The club raised $5,000 to assist with the building of classrooms in a Kenyan school. They also made presentations to school and community groups about Kenya and their project.
The Honourary Life Membership recognizes members who have made an outstanding and substantial contribution to the organization and its purpose. This year the award was presented to the Dykerman Family, Brookfield. The Dykermans have been contributing their time, skills and farm produce to the organization and its fundraising events for over 25 years.
The awards were presented at the organization’s annual meeting by its president Mary Nicholson.
Farmers Helping Farmers is an Island-based, award-winning organization of community-minded people with agricultural backgrounds. Its goal is to assist Kenyan farmers in becoming more self-reliant in agricultural food production. The group assists with the development of small-scale, practical agricultural projects, focusing on direct, person-to-person interaction. For additional information on the organization, visit www.farmershelpingfarmers.ca.