10 Jan 2008

BOREHOLE DRILLERS AT WORK

One big project the SATEMWA JOINT BODY embarked on was the drilling of a Bore hole at a point near the nearest village and our Magara compound.
From the word ‘go’ it was all excitement, surprises, happiness and sighs of relief especially from people of Magara Trading centre.
School children from our Satemwa Primary School could not help coming to see for themselves what mother luck had brought them. (Those in blue dresses and shirts)

Using FT Premium, we contracted bore drillers from town, those well experienced to drill a bore hole for us.
It was done at the cost of MK700, 000.00 ($5,000.00)

When it was completed, and the civil works done, people from the nearest houses could not help coming to have a feel of clean, fresh water from a bore hole – indeed a night mare.
As seen from the picture below, within a short period of time there was a queue building up of men and women wanting to draw some water.
Asked what difference the borehole will make in every day life, one lady from Magara Mrs. Monosile (in the photo) said ‘issues of diarrhoea, cholera and other health risks will be minimised as we will now no longer be taking water from unprotected wells as was the case in the past. However we hope other areas will be reached out as well so that the communities that surround Satemwa benefit from this facility’ she said.

Being the first project to be done using Fair Trade initiatives, there is quite a high expectation from people of other Divisions, and the surrounding villages that they would eventually also benefit from the same.
Potable water is a major problem in this part of the district such that the provision of bore hole water will indeed change people’s lives. Women will not have to travel longer distances in search of water.

One villager wanted to know whether this agreement is longer lasting so that other areas are reached out, same feelings coming out.
One JB member explained that for as long as FT standards are maintained, quality tea produced the market would be there.
‘Let us just hope buyers will keep on buying Satemwa Tea through Fair Trade, in order for us to get the premium.’ He said

http://www.satemwa.com/ - for more information

A QUEUE TO DRAW WATER FROM A FAIR TRADE - PREMIUM SUNK BOREHOLE




JOINT BODY MEETING

On 14th November Mr. Simon Banda from Zambia came to pay us a visit where among other things covered he had an audience with members of the Satemwa Joint Body.
JB members had a chance to express their expectations, concerns and what they feel FLO and the Producer should do in order to ensure the trade partnership is sustained.

On the other Simon also assured the JB members that FLO will try to assist where possible so that there is a smooth running of the requirements in order for the producer to sustain the certification.

He also had a chance of meeting with Smallholder Tea growers who are selling their tea to Satemwa. These small tea growers are also eager to be certified fair trade and Satemwa Estate is trying to assist them with any information they may require.

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SMALL HOLDER TEA GROWERS EXECUTIVE MEMBERS WITH SIMON BANDA




SATEMWA JOINT BODY MEMBERS PICTURED WITH SIMON BANDA FLO LIASON OFFICER SOUTHERN AFRICA) – (Back row second from left)


SCHOOL FEES BURSARIES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

When it became known that there would be a Fair Trade certification process, and that the benefits of it would come by way of a premium, Joint Body members were required to draw up a Work Plan detailing how the premium would be spent.
Among other project lined up was a suggestion to pay School fees for needy students.

The background to this decision is that there are students who are struggling to raise school fees because of the following possible reasons:
∑ They have lost parents to HIV/AIDS
∑ Parents are poor such that they can not raise money to meet Secondary school education requirements.
∑ Some families have too many children who are at secondary school such that they choose to support some and not all.

∑ More importantly there are students who are very intelligent and we feel there is need to support and encourage them to do even better as they are tomorrow’s possible leaders.

The primary pool for this project is Satemwa Full Primary School, a school that gets infrastructural support from the company through its Corporate Social Responsibility programme.
Then we would go school, to workers, and even the community through Village Development Committees to do a fact finding exercise to establish eligible beneficiaries.

On whether this would encourage pupils to stay in school, the Headmaster of Satemwa School said, ‘In fact this would motivate pupils to even work harder knowing they would likely be supported financially.

It is also expected that this programme would bring up a sense of ownership among workers. This would in turn see an improvement in quality of our product, the preservation of the environment e.t.c.

www.satemwa.com - for more information