Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Recently a group of 27 PotashCorp employees, including Aaron Fornwald, Bill Johnson, Leanne Bellegarde, Renee Glushyk and Seana Lenton from Saskatoon, returned home from a life-changing volunteer opportunity in Kenya, East Africa. The employees were working with Free The Children, a leading international development organization.  

As the founding partner of the new Agriculture and Food Security pillar of Free The Children’s established Adopt a Village development model, PotashCorp extended its employees an opportunity to participate in international agriculture and food security projects already underway.

Company employees were selected to go on the Kenya trip based on various criteria, including their community involvement and commitment to agricultural and food security issues. They represented PotashCorp’s potash operations in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, as well as the Company’s nitrogen and phosphate operations in the US and Trinidad.  

“This was an opportunity of a lifetime! It was remarkable to see the progress that has been made in just six months with the Agriculture and Food Security pillar, and it makes me proud to work for PotashCorp,” said employee Renee Glushyk.

The communities in Free The Children’s Adopt a Village program are typically in rural areas with a high incidence of food insecurity. In addition to founding the new Agriculture and Food Security pillar across all eight countries where the development organization operates, PotashCorp directly supports six communities (two in Kenya, two in India and two in China) on its agricultural initiatives. Free The Children’s approach to international development is both sustainable and long-term.

“Our multi-year partnership with Free The Children is a great fit for us. Our company’s focus is on global food security and long-term sustainability and Free The Children shares that same approach,” said Rhonda Speiss, PotashCorp’s Manager of Corporate Philanthropy.

The result of the trip was new friendships, the ability to make a positive contribution to Free The Children’s programs and memories of an experience that they will always cherish.

As the world’s largest crop nutrient company, PotashCorp plays an integral role in global food production. The company produces the three essential nutrients required to help farmers grow healthier, more abundant crops. With global population rising and diets improving in developing countries, crop nutrients such as potash, phosphates and nitrogen offer a responsible and practical solution to help produce the food we need, from the land we have.

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