Schools
Giving children a passion for Fairtrade
The Suffolk schools Kenya Link took place on 13 October 2021 as part of a programme of events during a special Suffolk Fairtrade Fortnight.
Pupils from three Suffolk schools – Trimley St Mary Primary, Westley Middle (Bury St Edmunds) and Sir John Leman (Beccles) put questions live on Zoom to Patrick Kaberia, a Fairtrade farmer, on a tea plantation in Michimikuru, Kenya. Nine other Suffolk schools joined in as an audience.
The session was recorded and an edited version is given below. Also on this page are links to a wide range of educational material featuring Patrick.
We hope you enjoy watching the videos and using the other Fairtrade resources. We plan to build on the links we have made with Suffolk schools to spread the word about Fairtrade even further. If you have any suggestions to make, or would like further information, please email secretary@suffolkfairtrade.org.uk
Patrick Kaberia and Fairtrade
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. Activity in the UK is co-ordinated by the Fairtrade Foundation. In 2016 they arranged a visit from Patrick, who works for the Michimikuru tea co-operative and has his own 2 hectare farm where he grows tea. Patrick spent a week in Suffolk visiting various Fairtrade towns and talking to a wide range of people and groups – including many school children.
Inspired by his visit, the Fairtrade towns decided to set up an association – the Suffolk Association of Fairtrade Towns (SAFT). SAFT has kept up contact with Patrick and, in 2018, he agreed to become our Patron. Following a successful virtual conference in July 2020, which included a live link to Kenya, SAFT decided to embark on this ambitious enterprise for a live link with Suffolk schools.
Several of the videos for schools produced by the Fairtrade Foundation feature Patrick and are listed below. You can also read a profile of Patrick produced by the Fairtrade Foundation for his 2016 tour by clicking here. Since then Patrick has a new daughter – Michele.
There are numerous resources available from the Fairtrade Foundation to cover all year groups.
These resources include:
Just a few examples are shown here. Click on the headings above or on the examples shown to explore more.
Some videos from the Fairtrade Foundation which feature Patrick...
Introducing Patrick 1
Introducing Patrick Kaberia, a tea farmer from Kenya. In this short film Patrick tells us about the tea plants and some of the benefits of Fairtrade.
Introducing Patrick 2
Meet Patrick, a Fairtrade tea farmer from Kenya. In this 1-minute film, he explains how climate change has affected their livelihood and how the Fairtrade premium has helped his community to adapt.
‘Patrick’s Virtual Visit’
We’re happy to bring Fairtrade tea producer Patrick Kaberia into your school! This short film features Patrick answering questions about tea farming in Kenya and Fairtrade in a Q&A format. Patrick talks about climate change and the impact it is having on tea farmers in the part of Kenya where he lives.
My Next Fairtrade Adventure - Trailer
Follow Tayna on her next Fairtrade adventure where she travels to Kenya to find out the impacts of climate change on tea farming and the ways in which Fairtrade can make a difference.
My Next Fairtrade Adventure Part 1 (7 to 11 year olds)
This is the first part of My Next Fairtrade Adventure for 7 to 11 year olds. Tayna, a student from North London, travels to Kenya to find out how climate change is affecting tea farmers and how Fairtrade can tackle some of the effects.
My Next Fairtrade Adventure Part 2 (7 to 11 year olds)
This is the second part of My Next Fairtrade Adventure for 7 to 11 year olds.
My Next Fairtrade Adventure Part 1 (11 to 14 year olds)
This is the first part of My Next Fairtrade Adventure for 11 to 14 year olds. Tayna, a student from North London, travels to Kenya to find out how climate change is affecting tea farmers and how Fairtrade can tackle some of the effects.
My Next Fairtrade Adventure Part 2 (11 to 14 year olds)
This is the second part of My Next Fairtrade Adventure for 11 to 14 year olds.
My Next Fairtrade Adventure Part 1 (14 to 16 year olds)
This is the first part of My Next Fairtrade Adventure for 14 to 16 year olds. Tayna, a student from North London, visits tea farmers in Kenya to find out how climate change is affecting tea farms and how Fairtrade Premium can be used to tackle the effects.
My Next Fairtrade Adventure Part 2 (14 to 16 year olds)
This is the second part of My Next Fairtrade Adventure for 14 to 16 year olds.
Resources by ages
Patrick's Tea Nursery
During Patrick’s visit to Suffolk he was often asked: “What happens to the tea pluckers between harvests?” He had to reply that there was very little for them to do, particularly during the dry season. So, on his return to Kenya, Patrick resolved to generate more employment opportunities by starting a tea nursery. He invested some of his own money and took out a loan to finance the project.
The cuttings are taken from bushes that have not been plucked for 3 months and are carefully set out in sleeves in boarded beds covered with a wooden cage underneath a partial shade tunnel constructed from natural materials. They are then cared for and watered during the next 8 months before they are ready to be planted out on his farm or sold. Patrick explains about the tea nursery in the following short, amateur, videos.
Image acknowledgements: Chris Terry; Fairtrade Foundation