A team of women from the UK food and farming industry is calling for donations ahead of a 75km cycle across Kenya to raise funds and awareness for international charity Farm Africa.
Arriving in Kenya on 20 October to take on the GROW for Good Challenge, the all-female team will journey across Embu County, stopping on the way to work on farms run by female farmers taking part in Farm Africa’s regenerative agriculture project. They will help with hands-on regenerative agriculture activities like composting and mulching, and find out how the charity improves farmers’ knowledge of good agricultural practices through an innovative network of village-based advisors.
At the end of their journey, on 25 October, the team will take part in a roundtable event with female industry leaders in Kenya’s capital city Nairobi to raise awareness of the need to drive positive change for women in the global food system.
The women hope completing the challenge will help them raise £75,000 (details on donating can be found at the end of this article), which will help fund Farm Africa’s work supporting small-scale farmers in eastern Africa to grow and sell more, while adapting to climate change and protecting the environment. Farm Africa is inviting both corporate and individual sponsors to support the challenge. Corporate sponsorship packages are available, offering opportunities for brand exposure across social media, event materials and even a virtual farm tour in Embu County.
‘Making a tangible difference’
“The GROW for Good challenge will raise funds that will make a tangible difference to the lives of female farmers and their families across eastern Africa,” said Judith Batchelar, former Sainsbury’s brand director and chair of the GROW for Good committee. “Just as importantly, it will raise awareness of how women having greater economic opportunities helps whole communities to grow and prosper.
“We’re thrilled to see such enthusiasm and dedication from our committee and participants,” she added. “We welcome any support from companies and individuals committed to empowering women to increase their incomes by farming in harmony in nature.”
Michelle Morris, professor of data science for food at Leeds University, will be joining a Farm Africa fundraising trip for the first time. “I jumped at the chance to get involved and raise important funding, learn from these Kenyan women and the women I will travel with from the UK, and contribute something to this legacy through our round table event,” she said. “Cycling is a special way to see a country and being uncomfortable – which we will be, considering the temperature, altitude and steepness of the unsealed roads we’ll be cycling on – makes the challenge greater, so hopefully people will dig a little deeper when sponsoring us for this important cause.”
The other women going on the trip are: Minette Batters (Farm Africa ambassador and former NFU president); Frances Bryan (Finsbury Foods); Anne-Marie Cannon (RH Amar); Mia Elizabeth Hartwell (Hubbub); Jane Lockwood (Daemon); Katie Major (Danish Crown); Caroline Mason (Consultancy business); Marnie Millard (NED); Helen Newbrook (Savills); Kate Taylor (ABP).
William Reed, owner of The Grocer, has supported Farm Africa for many years. CEO Charles Reed, who is a Farm Africa trustee, has previously taken part in three challenges, while retail and manufacturing MD Lorraine Hendle took part in two all-women trips building beehives. Last year, The Grocer’s editor-in-chief Adam Leyland raised over £20,000 after completing a sponsored walk in Tanzania.
For more information, or for details of corporate sponsorship packages, please visit the challenge webpage.
Or to make a donation, you can visit the online fundraising page.
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