Over the last few months the SEED Secretariat has attended all the award ceremonies and conducted workshops for each of the 2009 SEED Gold Winners:

• Bangladesh – Shidhulai: Solar conversion of traditional kerosene hurricane lamps
• Colombia - Oro Verde: Facilitating Market Access for Artisan Miners
• Niger - ALMODO: Recycling waste into goods ranging from building materials to energy substitutes
• South Africa - Natural Justice: Biocultural Protocols: Community Approaches to Access and Benefit Sharing
• Zimbabwe - KAITE: Bridge to the world, organic essential oils

The visits carry the purpose of profiling the SEED winners in their country through high-level award ceremonies, while also connecting them to influential organisations, institutions and foundations who can serve as partners and provide missing resources. The SEED country visits conclude with a specifically tailored training on management, finance, partnerships and other issues relating to scaling up social and environmental enterprises.

SEED wishes to particularly thank:

• Minister Gerda Verburg (Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality)
• H.E. Mr. Stephen Evans (British High Commissioner to Bangladesh)
• Deputy Minister Derek Hanekom (Deputy Minister of Science and Technology in South Africa)
• Juan Mayr, ex-Minister of the Environment, and Barbara Pesce Monteiro, Country Director, UNDP, Colombia
• Nadine Gbossa, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP, Niger