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Qatar Foundation and the WISE Awards International Jury have announced our Executive Director Mr. Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu Laureate of The WISE Awards for the project The Smallholders Farmers Rural Radio (Farm FM 98.0)! Initiated in 2009, the WISE Awards identify, monitor and promote remarkable and innovative educational projects from around the world.

Our application was selected from hundreds of applications originating from 89 countries and all regions of the world.

Designed to reward, showcase and support outstanding and innovative educational projects from across the world and from all educational sectors, the WISE Awards 2010 examined applications under the theme of Transforming Education: Investment, Innovation and Inclusion.

This year's edition reveals, amongst other things, that sharing high-quality content globally, bringing education to places and people traditionally removed from the education system, and inviting the entire community to take part in education are key trends and success factors transforming education.

Other winners of the WISE Awards 2010 are Mushtaq Chhapra from Pakistan for his project The Citizens Foundation; Ayla Goksel (Turkey, Mother Child Education Programme); Cecilia D'Oliveira (US, MIT OpenCourseWare); Tove Romsaas Wang (UK, Rewrite the Future); and Neil Turok (South Africa, AIMS Next Einstein Initiative).

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We are honored by the Invitation extended to The Smallholders Foundation through our Executive Director by the German Volkswagen Foundation to be a Speaker during its "Our Common Future " Forum "Food, Energy and Finance: Lessons from the Crisis and Opportunities for Future Development" during the session on Economic Development for Global Inclusion.

The forum was held in Hannover and Essen Germany from 2th - 6th November 2010. Nnaemeka's speech was entitled "Challenges and opportunities of the Global Energy and Food Crises on Smallholders in Nigeria". In his speech he challenged participants at the forum to innovate fresh ideas and strategies that will enable small farmers in Africa directly control their access to energy to increase food production.

We are honored to have hosted the UNESCO Country Director to Nigeria Dr. Joseph Ngu from Monday 18th - Wednesday 20th of October 2010. Dr Ngu observed our training exercise for rural radio broadcasters to deepen HIV/AIDS and other Health related issues script writing and broadcasting. He was also interviewed on the rural radio by Executive Director, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu.

Dr. Ngu is the first UNESCO Country Director to visit the rural radio which was established with the support of UNESCO International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC)

Rolex Awards for Enterprise - Young Laureate Program has released an award winning video of The Smallholders Farmers Rural Radio on their website. This is in recognition of our Executive Director for winning the prestigious and maiden Young Laureate Program of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise.

Watch the video here

With the support of United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UN - HABITAT) we have selected and trained 335 junior and senior urban secondary school students, aged 12 - 25 in practical crops cultivation and animal husbandry techniques at Development Secondary School, Douglas Road, Owerri.

We have almost concluded the establishment of an ultra-modern school garden at the school and an active Young Farmers Club. The students are already managing the garden; they will sell the school garden products and use the profit to give themselves microcredit to establish similar gardens at home.

This hands-on training processing is equipping urban youths with entrepreneurship skills to establish small agricultural gardens at home, earn direct income and will eventually take up careers in agriculture.

The Smallholders Foundation with the support of the World Bank will soon begin the production and broadcasting of a 20 episode climate change radio drama featuring series of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in Igbo Language for small farmers. The radio serial drama will be aired on 5 state-wide radio stations once a week for a 1 year period with an aim to reach atleast 15 million listeners. The radio drama will also be uploaded on our website in English and in Igbo language.

The Smallholders Foundation with the support of the World Bank will soon begin the production and broadcasting of a 20 episode climate change radio drama featuring series of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in Igbo Language for small farmers. The radio serial drama will be aired on 5 state-wide radio stations once a week for a 1 year period with an aim to reach atleast 15 million listeners. The radio drama will also be uploaded on our website in English and in Igbo language.

Community Statement, United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Biodiversity (UNGASS) from Equator Initiative on Vimeo.