Inspirational Fairtrade campaigner visits Windermere’s schools

Global Fairtrade campaigner Pushpanath Krishnamurthy visited Windermere’s local schools last week to encourage pupils and teachers to take on the Fairtrade campaign. Also known as Push, Pushpanath was invited by the Windermere and Bowness Fairtrade Group, in conjunction with Cumbria Development Education Centre, to visit on 8th and 9th May.

Over the two days, he inspired the children and adults at Windermere School, The Lakes School, as well as Goodley Dale and St Cuthbert’s Catholic primary schools. Part of his mission is to show the impact of climate change on small-scale farmers and to enable Fairtrade to support farmers to ensure they receive better prices and that their farming is sustainable.

Push was working for Oxfam when he covered the Climate Change Hearings in readiness for the Copenhagen 2009 climate talks. He was so moved by the evidence from farmers in Asia and Africa, that he vowed to carry their message personally, and walked from Oxford to Copenhagen (via Harwich and the ferry to Esbjerg).

Theresa Wooll, the coordinator for the Windermere and Bowness Fairtrade Group, was grateful to Push for taking time out of his busy schedule, ‘The schools have gained a great deal from meeting Push, who is an inspirational leader and campaigner. They are now planning their own Fairtrade and sustainability projects and we look forward to seeing the end results.’