Prize for Women's
Creativity in Rural Life

Prize Award Ceremony 2002

Honoring 32 Laureates
at EXPO.02 (Expo Agricole) Morat

On 15 October 2002 – World Rural Women’s Day - the Women’s World Summit Foundation WWSF convened for the seventh consecutive year an Award Ceremony for the winners of the Prize for women’s creativity in rural life.

The ceremony took place at Expo.02 (ExpoAgricole) Morat, with more than 120 participants. Six among the 32 Laureates were invited to attend the ceremony to present their work personally. They are:

• Mariama Dioulde Diallo from Guinea: Creates tools for empowerment
• Sangeeta Sawalakhe from India: Promotes biological control of insect pests
• Rosita Angulo from Costa Rica: Defends community water resources
• Agrita Gailite from Latvia: Rescues traditional knowledge of medicinal plants
• Urner Wollhandwerk Team from Switzerland: Sustains mountain farms with innovative products
• Johanna Dönz-Gillardon from Switzerland: Grows flowers for prosperity

Several speakers introduced the ceremony:

• Nelly Wenger, Director - Expo.02
• Hans Burger, Director – Expoagricole.02
• Filomina Chioma Steady, WWSF-President
• Bernard Lecomte, International Development Consultant, Co-founder and former President of the International 6-S Association
• Elly Pradervand, WWSF Founder/Executive Director
• Pascal Corminboeuf, Director of Agriculture and the Interieur; President of the Gouvernment - Fribourg
• Christiane Feldman, Mayor of Morat

Five Prize Jury members attended and helped conduct the award ceremony and receptions:

• Dr. Filomina Steady, Sierra Leone
• Wu Qing, China
• Munira Al-Nahed, Saudi Arabia
• Gulzar Samji, Canada
• Elly Pradervand, Switzerland

Six Laureates awarded at the ExpoAgricole.02 at Morat 15 October 2002

Each of the six Laureates addressed the guests and presented their work. They received a shawl made by SEWA rural women in India, and a cash award of US$ 500 in recognition of their creativity and courage in improving the quality of life in rural communities.

1) Mariama Dioulde Diallo from Guinea who creates tools for empowerment

2. Sangeeta Sawalakhe from India who developes and promotes biological insect pest control.

3. Rosita Angulo from Costa Rica who defends community water resources

4. Agrita Gailite from Latvia who rescues traditional knowledge of medicinal plants

5.Elsbeth Arnold, Team Leader - Urner Wollhandwork Team, Switzerland

Team of 9 women Urner Wollhandwerk Team - Switzerland
Swiss team of mountain women saving sheep wool

6. Johanna Dönz-Gillardon from Switzerland: grows flowers for prosperity.

Christoph Erard and Barbara Schirmer created an atmosphere of joy and celebration with many wonderful musical interludes from around the world.

WWSF organized a special award dinner at the Hotel Schiff am See at Morat in honor of the laureates during which donors could personally meet some of the prize winners.

The next day, 16 October, a one-day visit of ExpoAgricole and Expo.02 was organized and Laureates, board members and guests visited the Monolithe, die Blinde Kuh, the Garden of Violence, among other Expo sites. Hans Burger, President of Expo.Agricole and Forum leader Jürg Messerli, personally escorted our group and provided tour guides to explain what we saw.

Group photo in the Garden of Violence at Expo.02 - Morat

Dr. Maria Peñaloza, Prize program coordinator, accompanied the laureates from overseas throughout their one-week stay in Switzerland. She visited with them the United Nations, the City of Geneva and the organic vegetable cooperative Jardin de Cocagne, and introduced them to the use and construction of solar cookers after preparing a solar cooked meal at her home.

Visit of the Palais des Nations - United Nations

Visit of the City of Geneva

In the evening of 16 October, a special dinner in honor of the laureates was organized in collaboration with the Geneva Diplomatic Club at the Hotel Beau Rivage. Guests had an opportunity to meet the prize winners and to listen to a brief presentation of their work.

Acknowledgments: WWSF is most grateful for financial support received from MANOR SA, the City of Geneva, and many other donors who made the prize program possible. Our sincere thanks also to WWSF Board members, staff and volunteers who contribute in so many ways to make this project an annual success.

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