The Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Kisumu Branch will donate proceeds from this year’s Harvest Festival to two special schools in Kisumu County.
Branch chairperson Rose Omondi made the announcement during the Harvest Festival held at the Voice of Salvation and Healing Church ahead of the Kisumu National Show.
She said donations, collected in cash and in kind, will be presented to Maseno School for the Deaf and Kibos School for the Blind, whose representatives attended the event.
Omondi said the Harvest Festival marked the final stage of preparations for the Kisumu National Show, which will run from 22 to 26 July at the Mamboleo Showground.
She said this year’s show is expected to attract more exhibitors than previous editions, attributing the increase to enhanced publicity and wider engagement with stakeholders.
“We expect more than 200 exhibitors from across the region,” she said.The show’s theme is Promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture and Trade Initiatives for Sustainable Economic Growth.
Omondi said the exhibition would provide an opportunity for visitors to explore new agricultural technologies, connect with industry leaders and identify business and investment opportunities.
She added that the event would showcase innovations in agriculture and industry, while continuing its long-standing role as a platform for promoting local talent, enterprise and community engagement.
The ASK chairperson acknowledged that the Kisumu show had struggled to recover following the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said the society had adopted a new strategy and a renewed approach aimed at restoring the event’s appeal.
In addition to exhibitions, the show will feature arena displays and entertainment by various groups.
Omondi encouraged members of the public to attend in large numbers, adding that delegations from special schools would benefit from subsidised entry rates.
The head of the Voice of Salvation and Healing Church, Bishop Winnie Owiti, urged the society to continue supporting vulnerable members of the community.
Quoting from 2 Corinthians 9:7, she said giving should be done willingly and cheerfully rather than out of obligation.
She said generosity, as taught in the Bible, brings blessings to those who give.
Earlier, Kisumu Deputy County Commissioner Tom Tarus flagged off the Harvest Festival procession, led by the Kenya Forest Service Band and ASK officials.
Tarus urged residents to attend the show and assured the public that adequate security measures had been put in place throughout the event.
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