“A great project for the environment and future generations – Congratulations to your achievement!”

This is an extract from the final jury ratings of the National Energy Globe Award on a project by the Strategic Humanitarian Services, SHUMAS titled “Training farming community leaders and unemployed youths on sustainable integrated organic farming and renewable energy forms".

“Farming practices harmful to the environment and the use of traditional wood fuels lead to deforestation and degraded soil, leaving a damaged environment to future generations”. The jury observed.

According to the jury, SHUMAS, who are this year’s National Winner addresses these issues with a multi-dimensional approach.

“Teaching sustainable farming practices restores soil fertility and promoting the use of clean energy sources such as Biogas, Wind mill, solar panels and mini hydroelectricity reduces CO2 emissions and saves trees that would otherwise have been used as wood fuel” the jury added.

According to Shey Ndzerem Stephen Njodzeka, Managing Director of SHMAS, who talked to this reporter immediately after the proclamation of the award, the main goals that were set for this project from the beginning were to restore soil fertility, enhance food availability, improve livelihoods for rural farmers and ensure environmental sustainability.

He added that the project has been extremely successful with a bio-farm centre created that branches off and teaches people in different areas of speciality, over 5,000 poor peasant farmers and unemployed youths already trained in small short-term courses, with about 150 youths and farming leaders on long term courses that last for 2 years.

Moreover, he added that four renewable energy forms (Biogas, mini hydroelectricity, solar energy and wind turbines) have been installed in the bio-farm centre and are used as training and demonstration facilities, and also for electricity to light the centre and provide heating.

About The ENERGY GLOBE Award The ENERGY GLOBE Award was founded in 1999 by the Austrian energy pioneer Wolfgang Neumann and is one of today’s most prestigious environmental awards and aims at raising “global attention on sustainable, everywhere applicable environmental solutions and to motivate people to also become active in this area”.

With more than 160 participating countries and over 1000 project submissions annually the Energy Globe Award is today's most prestigious environmental prize worldwide. It distinguishes projects regionally, nationally and globally that conserves resources such as energy or utilizes renewable or emission-free sources. Award ceremonies are held all over the world. Prominent personalities as well as Energy Globe Ambassadors in 90 countries support the mission of Energy Globe.

The activities of Energy Globe attract worldwide media attention - international TV stations report each year with approximately 1,000 hours of broadcasting time. The aim of the Energy Globe is to raise global attention on sustainable, everywhere applicable environmental solutions and to motivate people to also become active in this area.