The co-founder of a Sutherland-based charity, which assists communities in Northern Uganda to overcome poverty, has been honoured with an international award.
Caitlin Barrett joined with Olympic athlete Eloise Wellings in starting Love Mercy Foundation, became its chief executive and developed the successful Cents for Seeds program.
Ms Barrett was awarded the Waislitz Global Citizen Youth Innovation Award, with the $50,000 prize to be used to expand the charity’s work.
Love Mercy began in 2010 when Ms Wellings met Ugandan Olympian and former child soldier, Julius Achon, and promised to help restore his village after decades of civil war.
The charity uses “simple solutions”, including the Cents for Seeds program, designed to give women “a hand up, rather than a hand out”.
The women are loaned a 30kg bag of seeds and taught agricultural skills.
Once harvested, the loaned seeds are returned and the women are able to keep and reinvest what remains.
Ms Barrett said she was “overwhelmed” by the award.
“I think it is great recognition of what I and the whole team have put in over nine years, and that it really does make an impact in Uganda,” she said.
Ms Barrett said the $50,000 prize would mean an extra 2000 women could join the Cents for Seeds program.
“There will be 17,000 women in the program in 2019,” she said.
“Each will receive 30kg of either beans, rice or sesame, enabling them harvest between 150-300 kg.”
Ms Barrett said the charity’s work had produced a greater well-being for communities.
“Women have been able to provide for their families, send their children to school and have better health care,” she said.
Judges for the awards program selected the winners from a group of 10 finalists “based on their ability to demonstrate global citizenship, use of innovation, and potential for impact”.
