Transcript Pumpkin fundraising assembly

Who are Practical Action?
Practical Action uses technology
to challenge poverty in
developing countries. We enable
poor communities to build on their
skills and knowledge to produce
sustainable and practical
solutions.
Who are Practical Action?
That means that we are able to
help people to learn the new skills
and techniques they need to
continue to make their own lives
better in the future.
Pumpkins
against poverty
PUMPKINS AGAINST POVERTY
is a campaign that is helping
people in the Rangpur and
Kiruguam districts of North-west
Bangladesh, where many families
live on land that floods every year
in the rainy season.
Sandbars
During this time of flooding, homes, crops and animals are all washed
away, leaving many families unable to feed themselves, as there is no
land left to farm on.
Pumpkins Against Poverty
Often, all that is left at the end
of the monsoon season is a thin
strip of land called a ‘sand bar’.
Until recently, people didn’t think
that crops would grow in this type
of condition, but Practical Action
I helping to change that.
Sandbar Cropping
A growing technique
called ‘sandbar cropping’
has been developed to
help the people in this are
of Bangladesh to grow
pumpkins.
Almost 1,300 families have now benefited from the
project, producing between them more than 162,000
pumpkins.
The pumpkins are a great source of food, rich in vitamins
for the families, but can also be sold to create income for
them to buy other things with, like goats that can produce
milk and cheese.
Sandbar
Lovely Pumpkins!
The difference is huge!
‘From selling
pumpkins we’ve
been able to afford
a tutor for our
children and to
replace the roof on
our home!’
‘I help my mum take
the seeds from the
pumpkins, so we can
grow them again next
year.’
‘From one small
pumpkin, I can make
two meals for our
family all year round.’
‘My children are much
healthier now, before
they used to suffer
with fever and
sickness.’
Double the money!
You have seen how important this project is,
and we are delighted to announce the UK
Government is supporting Practical Action’s
PUMPKINS AGAINST POVERTY, saving lives in
Bangladesh.
In response to your generosity, the UK Government
will match your donation pound for pound.
This means that for every £1 that is raised, the
government are kindly going to double it, meaning
we can raise even more money to help the people
in Bangladesh.
How can you help?
There are lots of ways to get involved with the
Pumpkins Against Poverty project at home and
at school.
Visit www.practicalaction.org.uk/schools-pumpkins
to find more information.
For schools, visit
www.practicalaction.org.uk/fundraise to find some
great fundraising tips and ideas that you can use
to help us raise money for this exciting project –
they are easy, cost effective and most of all great
fun to take part in, and so we hope you will join in
the pumpkin fun and get fundraising!