Exhibition THE LAND OF CASHEW – How V4 countries aid in Kenya is installed on Hviezdoslav’s Square until 15 October

4. October 2021

Lucia Kišš, General Director of the Section of Economic and Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, met on Friday (October 1, 2021) with the ambassadors of the Visegrad Group countries, the Republic of Kenya and the director of the Integra Foundation. The meeting took place at of the opening of an outdoor exhibition on Hviezdoslavovo Square, in Bratislava, which presents the results of successful cooperation on a development project.

The impact of global climate change and ethnic or armed conflicts threaten the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in Kenya. One of the few sources of their livelihood is growing cashew nuts. This crop has begun to decline and farmers are losing their food source. Slovakia and the V4 countries have helped in this situation and they are trying to support the growing of cashew nuts so that it will be be sustainable and fair.

We help farmers to overcome poverty

"It is important that the people of Kenya's most vulnerable areas are able to stand on their own two feet and overcome poverty. The project mainly supports communities of small farmers and young people. By offering them training and economic opportunities, it is to minimize their vulnerability, eliminate radicalization, and contribute to conflict prevention and migration from the country,” Lucia Kišš emphasized.

With the help of the joint project, small farmers on the Kenyan coast now have access to food security and job opportunities. The establishment of seedling nurseries, distribution of cashew seedlings, BIO and Fair Trade certified cashew nut production, as well as training in agricultural practices, the forming of self-help community groups, the prevention of ethnic conflicts and basic financial literacy have all contributed to this goal.

The main coordinator of the project is the Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation which operates under the SlovakAid brand. The project with a value of € 1.9 million is funded from the EU's Emergency Trust Fund for Stability and Addressing Root Causes of Irregular Migration and Displaced Persons in Africa.

The exhibition which maps the results of the project will be open until October 15, its virtual form is available at www.krajinakesu.sk.