Staff Reporter
A PHOTOGRAPH capturing a Mahangu harvester in northern Namibia has clinched the first prize in an international photo competition organised by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The photo, taken in May 2021 by Jonathon Rees, features Maria Nakumbwata harvesting Mahangu, a staple food for more than half of all Namibians, at her homestead in Okahanya village in the Oshikoto Region.
The competition was part of the FAO’s International Year of Millets, which sought to raise awareness regarding the nutritional advantages of millets, including Mahangu, and their cultivation amidst changing climate conditions. The global photo contest, open to professional and amateur photographers, received more than 800 entries from over 50 countries.
An international panel comprising photographers, photo editors, agronomists, and communication specialists selected this captivating image as the winner.
Rees captured the award-winning photograph while on assignment with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH for the BioInnovation Africa (BIA) project. This initiative is executed on behalf of the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (MEFT) and is funded by the German Government.
