If you’re looking to book your expedition with Camps International this month we have a fantastic prize draw on offer for anyone who confirms their place by the end of the month.

Book any Life or Gap trip with Camps International this month to be in with a chance to win £100 Cotswold Outdoor gift vouchers!

Save yourself £100 of essential travel equipment. Just choose your Gap or Life destination and book before the end of May 2012 (5pm GMT on 31st May 2012) to be included in the draw.

As usual with our monthly prize draws, we will choose the winner from a hat and post the video on our Facebook page so that you can see the draw. The prize draw will be held on the 1st June 2012.

So what are you waiting for? Enquire now to find out more about the trips available to you, or book online now! You can also give us a call on 0844 800 1127 to have a chat with one of the team. This prize draw only applies to new Gap and Life bookings made during April 2012.

This was originally posted by By Susanna Matters, UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador on the UNICEF website http://www.unicef.org.au/Discover/Blog/March-2012/A-celebration-for-all.aspx

We are very proud to know Susanna and how the work she put into her stay at Camp Kenya has affected her work and ours. To celebrate International Women’s day the 8th March in her role as young ambassador she has written this blog.

How come there isn’t International Men’s Day? It’s the question that relentlessly pursues me whenever I pin on my purple ribbon on 8th March. It can be jocular, whingey, dismissive or indignant, but somehow regardless of its tenor, that question dominates my life each year on International Women’s Day. I’ve tried responding with a patient but bemused smile. I’ve also tried pulling out my top ten statistics on the economic status of women around the world, quoting world leaders and deflecting it with a hasty ‘Is that really the point though?’ So this year, as a Young Ambassador, I’m trying this new response.

As an organisation dedicated to acting in the best interests of children, UNICEF Australia recognises International Women’s Day as being of tremendous importance for girls. It’s a day when our attention is drawn to the untapped potential of the women who make up seventy per cent of the world’s citizens living in poverty. We are also reminded that a staggering seventy per cent of the world’s children out of school are girls. As we celebrate inspirational women, a spot-light is simultaneously turned on the need to prepare girls to take on more decision-making positions. Why isn’t there an International Men’s Day? Well, it’s because it is girls who are disproportionately affected by humanitarian issues around the world.

This year, International Women’s Day pays particular attention to the livelihoods of women in rural areas with the theme Empower rural women: End hunger and poverty. In her statement for International Women’s Day, Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director UN Women said, “Nowhere are disparities and barriers greater than in rural areas for women and girls”. These words came to life for me on a recent trip to Kenya where I spent time teaching in two rural village schools. Both schools were tackling girls’ school attendance through improving the provision of toilets and sanitary pads. These practical measures are a clear-cut acknowledgement of the additional participatory challenges that rural girls face, just because they are girls. Together, we must work towards the empowerment of women by providing for girls.

We’ve got a lot to think about today celebrating the special women and girls in our lives. But let’s also take time to remember our commitment to the third UN Millennium Development Goal – promote gender equality and empower women. International Women’s Day is not about ignoring half the world’s population. It’s about communities (yes, that’s men and women) pausing to consider the potential of girls and planning ways to maximise their participation in educational, vocational and decision-making opportunities. International Women’s Day is a time to invest in the women of tomorrow. Please do take part.

Interested in International Women’s Day and its connection to global development? Read more athttp://www.unwomen.org.au

To find out how Camps International have taken Susanna’s advice on board and are now involved in fundraising for projects to improve the education of women in our communities read more here.

Anyone who has grown anything, harvested it and eaten it, knows just how much more satisfying it tastes.  But anyone who farms to make a living will know just how much hard work goes into producing a few kilos of fresh vegetables. As climate patterns change, and seasonal rains become less reliable, and populations soaring, food security particularly in Africa where the majority are still subsistence farmers has once again become a priority on the development agenda. To give you context for Kenya:

Agriculture in Kenya continues to dominate Kenya’s economy, although only 15-17 percent of Kenya’s total land area has sufficient fertility and rainfall to be farmed, and only 7-8 percent can be classified as first-class land.^[1][2] In 2006, almost 75 percent of working Kenyans made their living by farming, compared with 80 percent in 1980.^[1] About one-half of Kenya’s total agricultural output is non-marketed subsistence production.^[1] Agriculture is also the largest contributor to Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP).^[1] In 2005, agriculture, including forestry and fishing, accounted for about 24 percent of the GDP, as well as for 18 percent of wage employment and 50 percent of revenue from exports.^[1]

Farming is the most important economic sector in Kenya, although less than 8 percent of the land is used for crop and feed production, and less than 20 percent is suitable for cultivation. Kenya is a leading producer of tea and coffee, as well as the third-leading exporter of fresh produce, such as cabbages, onions and mangoes. Small farms grow most of the corn and also produce potatoes, bananas, beans and peas.

(From Wikipedia)

Camp Muhaka and Camp Makongeni happen to be located within that 20% of suitable land for cultivation and whilst just about everyone has a small little farm mainly for cassava and maize and a few mango trees, there is very little in terms of cash crop production. People are extremely poor in the area and most live hand to mouth yet the soil is very fertile particularly in Muhaka and rainfall sufficient to ensure at least three good harvests a year. There are a number of reasons, and probably the main one being access to good market prices. Just about anything you plant in Muhaka grows and yes, there are problems with pests but, yes, things do grow.

We have proved it by planting a number of different vegetable crops on the Trust House land and getting a kick out of harvesting:

Ok, so we are not (yet) feeding ourselves let alone the world but hey, got to start somewhere! So, we have our spinach, tomatoes, eggplants, bananas, watermelon, and…

chillies….lots of chillies!

Why chillies? Simple:

1. They grow very well in this climate region and are farily hardy crops which the bugs don’t like them and they can sustain quite long periods without water

2. There is a high demand for certain species of chillies locally and on the export market

3. You can produce and harvest chillies all year round

4. They are ideal for small landowners. We have harvested and sold almost 200kgs of chillies in the last four months

The long term plan here is to ensure a solid market with a fair price for farmers in Muhaka. The price of dried chillies is much better than fresh ones but obviously you need a lot more dried chillies to make it a viable business. I was really pleased the other day when a farmer came with ten kgs of dried chillies that he harvested from his own farm so not only did we manage to sell them for him, but we were so pleased by his efforts that we offered to pay for the first term of child’s secondary school fees. Hopefully this is just the beginning…

And besides the chilli sauce we are making from these little critters is guaranteed to keep your bosses on their toes (place your orders for the special brew here)…