The 90kg Rice Challenge...
... why it would be good for your school, an exclusive event for teachers.
Missed this event? The video is available on the right (or above if you're on mobile). You can read the chat log here.
In this event, we joined a Fair Trade Kilombero Rice Farmer live from Malawi, and heard from his colleagues about how their lives have improved and how they have benefited from the proceeds of the 90kg Rice Challenge. We also heard about the positive experience of taking the Challenge, live from a teacher from a participating school in Aberdeen. There was an opportunity at the end to ask questions direct to the farmer, teacher and to other participants from JTS, the Scotland Malawi partnership, Social Enterprise Scotland and the One World Centre. The event closed with a fun chance to win some award-winning Kilombero Rice with a LIVE spin the wheel.
- Interactive event. Learn all you need to know about the 90kg Rice Challenge including from a school who have completed two life changing challenges.
- Exclusive sneak-peak at the teacher resources available to schools who sign up.
- Learn about the exclusive support from the Social Enterprise Academy.
- Opportunity to hear about the education system and the impact of climate change etc from farmers in Malawi and to ask questions direct.
- Insight from the One World Centre about how the 90kg Rice Challenge fits with the curriculum and how the JTS teacher resources fit.
- Recording of the event will be made available to watch online to participating schools.
- Maybe the prize of some rice!
A rice producer in Malawi has to sell 90kg of their product to enable them to send a child to secondary school for a year. This is only one of a list of priorities farming families have. In the global south they are at the forefront of climate change and face real difficulties in dealing with the effects of the crisis facing devastating floods and unpredictable weather patterns affecting harvest and causing transport issues. They also struggle with the fight against Covid.
The producers of JTS award-winning Kilombero Rice, grown in the Karonga District of Northern Malawi, benefit from Fair Trade terms which ensure they receive a sustainable income. Their smallholder farmer association has recently become a World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) Member ensuring they meet the 10 Principles of Fair Trade.
Being part of the Fair Trade system has helped them through these difficult times, but the effects of the pandemic in Scotland and the rest of the UK over the past two years has resulted in a substantial drop in sales of their white and brown rice. Covid has also badly hit take-up of the 90kg Rice Challenge with the closure of schools and churches.
But what is the 90kg Rice Challenge, and what’s this online event all about?
The 90kg Rice Challenge runs throughout the whole year and is the perfect social enterprise activity for schools, churches and community groups covering a range of issues which are prevalent in today’s society including Fair Trade, sustainability, social enterprise and Global Citizenship. There’s also a section on Climate Change and how this is affecting the rice farmers in Malawi. This has been developed by our friends at WOSDEC and is in line with the Curriculum for Excellence and Global Goals (or SDG’s).
This exclusive event for teachers aims to raise awareness of the situation for rice farmers in Malawi and explain how pupils can make a world of difference as a bag of rice can change a life.
What are the benefits from talking the 90kg Rice Challenge?
- An easy to manage but substantial activity resulting in a strong sense of achievement.
- Opportunity for schools and students to “do something”, to make a positive impact through Global Citizenship directly on farming families in Malawi.
- Knowing that the purchase of Kilombero rice helps provide smallholder farmers with a sustainable income and enables them to do the likes of reinvest in their farms, feed and clothe their families, afford to send a child to secondary school. By helping families and communities to work their way out of poverty with dignity, you really are Changing Lives One Bag at a Time!
- Participants are given the opportunity to learn about current issues such as Fair Trade, Global Citizenship, sustainability, social enterprise and climate change.
- Pupils can experience the setting-up of a small social enterprise using what they have learned to come up with innovative ways to sell the 90 bags of rice. They can get encouraged and inspired knowing that every bag they sell is helping to change lives.
We are halfway there! 45 bags of rice sold so far. We have plenty left so please buy a bag and help us achieve our 90kg Rice Challenge. #90kgRiceChallenge pic.twitter.com/vrAulzSiuU
— Portlethen School (@Portyschool) March 10, 2022
Thank you @The_PA for your excellent article about the #90kg rice challenge in Blairgowrie @BlairgowrieFT All Things Fair & how people are enjoying delicious rice and supporting farmers in Malawi! Buy 1kg bags of brown or white rice for tea or for your cupboard! @CarolineShiers pic.twitter.com/jB1DPZJa2g
— P&K Fairtrade (@PKFairtrade) May 22, 2020
Fantastic #90kgRiceChallenge schools event in Linwood this morning! #FairTrade #GlobalCitizenship #socialenterprise #climateaction pic.twitter.com/c6SIALNz7O
— Scottish Fair Trade Forum (@FairTradeNation) January 23, 2020
... and The Scotland Malawi Partnership.