NFU Director of Trade and Business Strategy Nick von Westenholz has so far raised over £12,000 after completing the Mahale Mountains Challenge for farming charity Farm Africa.
Farm Africa helps farmers in Eastern Africa grow more, sell more and sell for more. This helps them help themselves out of poverty. Working in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Farm Africa is growing agriculture, protecting the environment and developing businesses in rural areas.
More than half of the world’s extreme poor live in sub-Saharan Africa. Many of them are farmers who are facing similar challenges to British farmers, including rising costs and food security.
Nick represented the NFU on a 80km trek across the Mahale Mountains in Western Tanzania from 16-21 September to help raise money for the charity. He will also be visiting one of Farm Africa’s projects in the country to see the work they do in supporting the resilience and productivity of the local farmers.
The challenge involved an 80km hike in temperatures reaching 35 degrees celsius across the rugged terrain of the Mahale Mountain range in western Tanzania. The journey led the team through mixed woodland, bamboo forests and rolling plains in a landscape very rarely visited by humans.
After six days, the team finished on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, before returning to Tanzania’s main city, Dar es Salaam, where they met with a number of food producers and businesses to hear how they are benefitting from Farm Africa’s projects in the country.
Nick completed the challenge alongside eleven other professionals from the food and farming sector, including NFU horticulture board member Julian Marks who led the expedition. Together #TeamMahale has raised over £215,000 for Farm Africa so far.
“I’d like to express my immense gratitude to everyone who has donated to this cause. I’ve raised more than double my initial target, which really highlights the importance of Farm Africa’s charitable work."
NFU Director of Trade and Business Strategy Nick von Westenholz
Nick said: “I’d like to express my immense gratitude to everyone who has donated to this cause. I’ve raised more than double my initial target, which really highlights the importance of Farm Africa’s charitable work.
“I’d also like to thank the rest of the team and say a massive well done. Our extraordinary journey, while at times challenging and tiring, has reinforced the importance of addressing the shared challenges we face in farming and producing food across the world.
“Farming in the UK and Tanzania have many obvious differences, but challenges such as climate change, volatile supply chains and food security are universal concerns, and it is more crucial than ever that we stand together to drive positive change.”
The NFU are proud to have supported Farm Africa's work for over 15 years. Team NFU raised £30,000 for the charity earlier this year running the London Marathon.
How to donate
We understand that not everyone may be in a position to contribute, but if you are able to lend a helping hand even a small donation can make a significant impact. Here's how your donations can help:
- £100 – could help one farming family establish a home garden to ensure food security and nutritious vegetables.
- £500 – could help 17 farmers tap into the potential of drought-resistant crops and protect their family against drought.
- £1,000 – could provide a training centre for 31 farmers with climate-smart agriculture skills to build resilient and sustainable livelihoods.
- £2,000 – could help 51 farmers to develop their financial management skills, so they can build stronger, more robust businesses.
To donate, please visit Nick’s page on JustGiving.
