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..And sends her thanks to FAWCO 

"This is a great day, not just for me, but for the whole Polot communinity," said Mercy, accepting the award for the 2007 Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life.

"This prize is for all women in this marginalized region. It shows that women from West Pokot are able to start something that finds its way to other parts of the world. Please send your girls to school; send all your children to school. That gives them the chance to improve their life, like I did. I would like to say thank you to all my supporters and especially to FAWCO who nominated me for this prize and also BioVision for their contributions."

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Mercy was recognized for her work as a social worker, eco-trainer and assistant project director for BioVision's 'Cabesi project' which stands for Camels - Bees - Silk, in the West Pokot district of Kenya. She is responsible for the training of 1000 farmers, mostly women, in bee-keeping and in raising wild silk worms and establishing women's cooperatives. Mercy promotes the education of girls and women, advocates for their rights and the elimination of the practice of female genital mutlilation and the forced marriages of girls and has been lauded for her efforts in innovative methods of peace building between rival tribes in the area.

FAWCO nominated Mercy for the 2007 Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life, sponsored by the Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF) and are pleased that she won. The prize is an acknowledgement of Mercy's exceptional courage, dedication and creativity in promoting the rights of women and a validation of her efforts in trying to bring the people of West Pokot out of poverty.