On Nov 18, 2019, Chantel Doyle and Hanna Hone gave a presentation to the Farmers Helping Farmers board of directors summarizing their internship experiences and personal growth, trends that they noticed, and the impact they had on the Kenyan communities they serviced. The presentation was exceptionally well done, and the board was very impressed by the quality of presentation, demonstrating superior leadership and communication skills. They have truly become global citizens.
On Nov 19, 2019, a new contribution agreement was signed between Farmers Helping Farmers (FHF – a partner on this QES project in Kenya) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC). For many years, FHF was successful at writing proposals for funding from CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency), typically overlapping the project funding to ensure continuity of activities and programs in Kenya. However, after CIDA was amalgamated into GAC, there was a freeze on funding for small NGOs like FHF, leading to a substantial gap in government funding to augment the private donations that support FHF’s work. The successful partnership between UPEI (and the QES projects specifically) and FHF (particularly in the disciplines of veterinary medicine and nutrition) provided additional strength to the successful FHF acquisition of $1M from GAC in the Small and Medium Organization competition. This funding is double the largest amount that FHF ever received from CIDA, and will allow FHF to expand efforts to other areas of Meru County, and with other Dairy Groups, women’s groups, and schools.