Kenyan women’s initiative wins global award

Maili Saba, a Kenyan women´s initiative was among two initiatives that received the 2012 GEN Excellency Awards at a ceremony held in Krishna Valley, Hungary.

The GEN Excellency Awards are given annually to recognize and celebrate outstanding work done in emerging Eco-villages.

Maili Saba is a women self-help group founded by 50-year old Nancy Oppelle and comprises of 40 women from Kitale, Western Kenya. The women came together and consolidated their small plots to have a bigger and a more economically viable farm.

The group grows its food with Permaculture, exploiting natural resources such as water harvesting, compost, and dry land farming. Money saved for not using chemical fertilizers goes to buying schoolbooks for their children.

The award for GEN Europe/Middle East went to the host of the GEN conference: Krishna Valley in Hungary.

Maili Saba was nominated and represented in the awards ceremony by last year’s recipient Phillip Munyasia.  

Both awardees received € 1,500 courtesy of the founders of Gaia Trust, Ross and Hildur Jackson.