Source: The Citizen
'Sex and the City' actress Kristine Davis has teamed up with the leading Tanzania actor Steven Kanumba, to honour Tanzania women food producers with the launch of a nationwide competition at the Makumbusho Village run by Oxfam.

The Food Heroine (Mama Shujaa wa chakula) of the year award is a new annual competition to recognise outstanding women food producers, where members of the public will have an opportunity to vote for their favourite candidate.

The project it designed to empower, inspire and support women farmers and pastoralists by recognising their contributions and increasing their visibility.

Oxfam's Global Ambassador Kristine Davis who has been in the country, especially in Morogoro Region, had an opportunity to meet smallholder farmers and pastoralists and find out about the challenges they face in producing for themselves and for others.

"I have been to Morogoro for two days and I had a chance to meet inspiring women farmers, I was impressed with their hard work and dedication that's why I am so thrilled Oxfam is launching the food heroine initiative to encourage and give recognition to women who grow so much of the food we eat here in the country and even in America, where I come from, with so much determination despite the challenges they face," remarked the TV star.

Commenting, the Oxfam Ambassador for the GROW Campaign which promotes a future where everyone has enough to eat, actor Steve Kanumba said women have been farmers in difficult circumstances for such a long time and they have never complained, much less received encouragement in what they do.

Kanumba added: "These women's contribution has not been visible or appreciated by society; that's why I am now encouraging all Tanzanian women with their husbands' support to participate in the food Heroine of the Year Award in order to motivate other women in their communities, and to create awareness on women's role in the agriculture sector"

The competition involving women farmers and pastoralists from all parts of Tanzania will give them an opportunity to nominate themselves or other women whom they know they are using good or innovative methods of farming, animal husbandry and food processing or women who are leaders or change agents in their communities on tackling the challenges which face small- scale producers.

The top ten finalists will attend a one week training camp in Dar es Salaam in September where they will have an opportunity to further their skills in agricultural practices and livestock production as well as enterprise and social development skills.

Maselina Kibena, who represented MVIWATA, a small farmers' association from Morogoro, said he was happy that Oxfam and its partner organisation had recognised women's contribution in feeding the society at large and took the initiative to support their efforts.

• Tanzania