Flowers from Ethiopia

Christine Gates is a LUCIA officer and strong support of Fair Trade.  

As a florist and part owner with Lynda John in Flower Fayre, a business shop in Shirley, I've been given the opportunity to give my support by offering shop floor space to a Birmingham local charity LUCIA - Life Uplifted by Change In Africa www.luciacharity.org.uk, which is run by enthusiast volunteers who offer hope to some of the poorest women and children in Ethiopia.

In February this year imagine my surprise when a week before going as one of the  LUCIA team on a field trip to visit some of the projects in Ethiopia, I discover the Dolcetta rose is actually grown by Linssen at Addis Alem, Ethiopia, just one hour's drive from the centre of Addis Ababa.

Linssen, a Dutch company, grow on the farm two fair trade roses, giving good working conditions and fair pay for the local people.

A visit was arranged for myself and the rest of the LUCIA team to visit the farm. On arrival we found ourselves looking at what seemed like miles and miles of poly tunnels filled with the most superb rose bushes.

The healthy plants, we were told by the works manager, a beautiful Ethiopia young woman, flower every two months giving the most amazing harvest of healthy flowers. We visited the packing room where the cut flowers are graded and packed to go to Holland on the next morning flight to be auctioned and sent on the next day to the shops in Europe.

They keep the flowers refrigerated all through the journey from tree to shop to ensure they arrive in perfect condition.

The whole trip in Ethiopia for me was truly amazing: seeing the work and help that can make such a difference to some of the poorest people in the world by just a little support was an inspiration. However, with my belief in fair trade and my personal passion for flowers the rose farm visit will hold a very special place indeed.

       
Sent from my phone