Scholarship students from developing countries help school children discover the global marketplace – and meet TV presenter JB Gill!

Twenty one students from the Marshal Papworth agricultural scholarship programme were at the Kids Country Food and Farming Day, helping 3,500 school children from across Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Essex and Norfolk to discover the global marketplace. They were also able to meet with TV presenter JB Gill, who was thrilled to find out more about the challenges of farming in the developing countries that the Marshal Papworth students call home.

The Marshal Papworth students, from countries across Africa, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Philippines, have been studying in the UK, with 11 students graduating from their scholarship BTEC in Sustainable Farming from Harper Adams University this week, whilst a further 10 Fund students are approaching the end of their year-long Masters studies across the UK in courses including Water and Sanitation, and Food Security at Aberystwyth University, Cranfield University, University of Reading, Harper Adams University, University of Bangor, Royal Agricultural University and Writtle University College.

Masters student Sheila Zulu from Zambia, said: ”It has been a real joy to be able to share the nature of farming in my home country with school children today; they have all been very willing to learn something new, and it has also helped me hone my own communication skills so that I can disseminate the vital information from my studies to my colleagues and neighbours back in Zambia.” Sheila is set to graduate from Harper Adams University with a Masters in Agricultural Science and Production Systems in September.