16th November, 2021

Suffolk schools speak with Fairtrade Tea Farmer, Patrick Kaberia

The Suffolk Association of Fairtrade Towns (SAFT) offered a link to Patrick Kaberia, Fairtrade Farmer in Kenya, to all Suffolk schools during a special Suffolk Fairtrade Fortnight from 9 – 22 October.  The highlight was a live link, via Zoom, to Patrick in Kenya when a panel of six children from three Suffolk schools put questions to Patrick on aspects of Fairtrade.  Nine other schools joined in as an audience.

Patrick will be familiar to some of you from his visits to the UK in 2016 and 2017.  Others will recognise him for his contribution to the educational resources in the Fairtrade Schools Teaching Resource Library. Patrick is a Fairtrade tea farmer from Michimikuru in Kenya.  He also works for the local tea co-operative, advising smallholders on how to improve their yields and follow good conservation practice.  He has been active in explaining the effects of climate change on his local area and what steps have been taken to mitigate some of its effects – such as crop diversification and tree planting.

To support the live link, SAFT made a range of educational material featuring Patrick available via their website at www.suffolkfairtrade.org.uk.  Much of this has been produced by the Fairtrade Foundation but there are also some ‘home videos’, produced by Patrick, of his tea nursery started on his return from the UK in 2016. SAFT also ran a writing competition sponsored by the East of England Co-op and judged by Mike Gidney. The prize was awarded jointly to a brother and sister attending one of the schools which took the link.

Schools across the UK can view an edited version of the live link session below.

Article written by Alan Muchal, SAFT Secretary