Take the road north from Nairobi and about 40 miles later you’ll reach Simbi Roses Farm in the Thika region. This is an ideal place to grow flowers, at 1,600 above sea level, a warm climate and a good water supply. The farm started small, in 1995, as a two hectares in the middle of a coffee plantation. Over the years the area devoted to flower growing has increased, and the workers now grow 40 million Fairtrade roses a year on about 21 hectares.

Simbi Roses is one of the leading companies in the Thika region for quality and service. The workers grow over 10 different types of roses for the international market.

Their quality of life and that of their communities is improving, thanks to Fairtrade. As part of Fairtrade certification, the workers on the farm receive a premium, a little extra, which enables them to invest in community projects, improving their lives and those around them.

The first major project was renovating the classrooms and office of the local school. The old broken windows were replaced and the uneven floor, which was full of holes and cracks, has been smoothed over.
This is just the beginning of the workers’ plans. They also want to use the Fairtrade premium to pay for scholarships for children’s education and for building materials to improve their houses.

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