Tea growers call for collaborations to empower communities 

By around May this year, the Browns Plantations Kenya, through its charitable arm the Finlays Community Trust, will have launched a TVET scholarship programme aimed at supporting needy students from Bomet and Kericho Counties.

This initiative will see the organisation add more than 40 students every year to its tally of more than 1,009 students whom it has been supporting through other scholarship programmes run by Finlays Community Trust.

The Trust has to date channeled more than Sh295.4 million towards education infrastructure projects, aimed at supporting needy students from the communities living near the Browns Plantations tea estates.

These include the construction of a complete two-streamed secondary school for Sh110 million, as well as the construction of 20 laboratories, 13 classrooms, 13 libraries, 6 dining/multipurpose halls, 5 dormitories, one TVET workshop among other infrastructure projects.

For years, the role that companies engaged in the cultivation and manufacture of tea play in empowering communities within their areas of operation has been downplayed.

Many reports paint a picture of institutions only seeking to enrich their shareholders.

Limited awareness about the activities of these organisations has also resulted in many perceiving them as giving back that which is not commensurate to whatever they are deriving from the resident communities.

Lindah Oluoch, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Tea Growers Association (KTGA), says these organisations have been playing a crucial role in the empowerment of resident communities, albeit silently.

Scholarship programme

Through the Finlays Community Trust, Browns Plantations has for instance strengthened several education, infrastructure, water resources, environmental stewardship and disaster response initiatives in the counties of Bomet and Kericho.

Under the education pillar, the organisation has supported 20 secondary students, 28 undergraduate students and sponsored two graduate students annually through their scholarship programme.

“The primary schools within BPK have always led in KCPE performance in the two counties. This is attributable to good management which has motivated all parties in the schools,” Ms Oluoch said.

She further noted that the same trend has been observed in secondary schools sponsored by large-scale tea-growing firms falling under the umbrella of KTGA, where very good grades have been posted.

“The only challenge for these organisations has been identifying the very needy but bright children who may need support for TVET training or undergraduate studies,” she said.

These organisations have also been injecting capital into the resident communities by working directly with the smallholder farmers.

Browns Plantations Kenya, for instance, has launched an initiative known as the Outgrowers Project, in collaboration with the Fintea Growers Cooperative Union Limited, that seeks to improve the socioeconomic welfare of small-scale tea farmers in Bomet and Kericho Counties.

Building on existing relationships between smallholder farmers and Browns Plantations Kenya, the project has assisted more than 10,000 farmers in forming co-operatives to strengthen their bargaining power over their livelihoods and relationships with the company.

“To ensure inclusion of youth and women in the management of the cooperatives and the umbrella union, the company organises training and sensitization programmes that embed good governance and diversity in the cooperative policy guidelines,” said Sammy Kirui, the General Manager Corporate Affairs, Browns Plantation Kenya.

Through the Outgrowers project, the company has also assisted over 14,000 smallholder tea farmers to access Sacco loans, tea plucking advances, external markets, posho milling and packaging, feeds mixing and distribution, among others.

“The small-scale tea farmers can now achieve niche market quality standards through training on Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade certification among other good agricultural practices. This has guaranteed premium prices for their tea products,” said Mr Kirui.

Premium funds received from Fairtrade buyers are channelled to community projects. Through the project, the company has also developed competitive black tea marks exclusively for Outgrower tea farmers (Bondet and Masingi Marks) which are currently outperforming the company marks in the tea auction.

Moreover, as part of further empowering the small-scale tea farmers, the outgrowers green leaf transportation to factories in Browns Plantations Kenya has been contracted to the community.

The arrangement has benefited over 40 smallholder tea growers who own lorries.

The organisation has also invested in four water projects in Bomet and Kericho counties, to ensure access to clean water for the resident communities while also protecting and conserving water catchment areas.

These include Seretut (Belgut Sub-County), Kipchobos (Konoin Sub-County), Chepinyonyoi (Ainamoi Sub-County) and Mosore (Bureti Sub-County) spring protection and water projects.

Sustainable farming practices

The fifth water project is currently under construction, while feasibility studies for the sixth are being conducted.

Cumulatively, the Trust has invested more than Sh18 million in the construction of the water projects.

These water projects directly benefit over 1,200 households, nearby schools and hospitals. Indirectly, they benefit about 100,000 individuals.

“We intend to roll out more water points protection and supply projects as this is key in women empowerment, health of the community and education of the girl child,” said Mr Kirui.

To help them realise their objectives, Ms Oluoch is calling on key stakeholders including both levels of government as well as non-governmental organisations to support large-scale tea-growing firms.

“Effective community relations and investments require collaboration between all stakeholders. The national and county governments play a vital role in developing essential infrastructure for the tea industry which will contribute towards reducing transportation costs for farmers, facilitate market access, and encourage further investment in the sector,” she said.

Towards the same end, NGOs can work with tea farmers on various aspects, including forming cooperatives, negotiating fair prices and adopting sustainable farming practices.

They can also offer training programs to improve agricultural skills and financial literacy.