Original Story Published by: Darlene Polachic for Saskatoon Starphoenix
Photography courtesy of: Cam Broten
Children in eSwatini, a monarchy in southern Africa, receive eggs from Project Canaan, a project that tackle many societal issues in Africa including hunger. The project includes an egg-producing centre supported by Saskatchewan Egg Producers.
In early June, Cam Broten, the executive director of Saskatchewan Egg Producers, had the unique opportunity to visit a Canadian-initiated humanitarian project in Swaziland, Africa. Bordered by South Africa and Mozambique, Swaziland is the last absolute monarchy in Africa and was recently renamed eSwatini by the country’s king.
The purpose of Broten’s trip was to visit Project Canaan, a farm project in which Saskatchewan Egg Producers (SEP) have a vested interest.
Project Canaan was established in the early 2000s by Heart for Africa, a faith-based humanitarian organization founded by Canadians Ian and Janine Maxwell. They established it in response to the raging HIV epidemic that has left an estimated 200,000 children orphaned or abandoned (eSwatini has the highest HIV rate in the world). The aim of Project Canaan is to bring hope to the people of Swaziland by focusing on orphans, hunger, poverty and education.
“The hundreds of families involved in egg farming in Saskatchewan love giving back and doing good. For them, natural goodness is about more than just the nutritious eggs they deliver, it’s about caring for one another, making a difference, and feeding the hungry everywhere.”
Project Canaan is a sustainable, 1,000-hectare farm that is a safe haven for 200 discarded and forgotten Swazi children. The centre employs 300 Swazis who are known to the children as aunties and uncles. Employment on the farm gives workers opportunities to learn valuable trades, and each Swazi worker is understood to be responsible for feeding an average of 13 people at home.
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